Question

Under what conditions does a body move in such a way that the magnitude of its average velocity is equal to its average speed?

Answer 1

Step 1: Condition

1. Since velocity is defined as the rate at which displacement changes. It is a scalar quantity.
2. Average speed is defined as the ratio of the total distance to the total time taken.
3. When the total distance travelled equals the net displacement, average velocity equals average speed. And therefore, at that instant, a particle moves in a straight line in a fixed direction.

Hence, when the total distance travelled equals the net displacement, average velocity equals average speed. Then a body moves so that the magnitude of its average velocity is equal to its average speed.