Question

Can average speed of moving object be zero?

Answer 1

Average speed can never be 0 unless the body is stationary over an interval of time. Basically average speed is defined as the ratio of total distance travelled by a body to the total time interval taken to cover that particular distance. But on the other hand Average velocity can be zero. Average velocity is defined as the ratio of total displacement of the body to the total time taken by it to cover that displacement. U see unlike distance which is a scalar ,displacement is a vector. Vectors have both magnitude and direction. Displacement can be zero if a body is travelling in a circle. This is because the distance covered by the body from the initial point to the final point is 0 if its starting and finishing point is same. Hence I conclude that Average speed cannot be 0 but average velocity can be zero.
Therefore the average speed of a moving object can never be zero.