The graph in the figure shows the position of a particle as it travels along the x-axis.What is the magnitude of the average velocity of the particle between t = 1.0 s and t = 4.0 s?
A)0.25 m/s
B)0.50 m/s
C)0.67 m/s
D)1.0 m/s
E)1.3 m/s

Question

The graph in the figure shows the position of a particle as it travels along the x-axis.What is the magnitude of the average velocity of the particle between t = 1.0 s and t = 4.0 s? 
A)0.25 m/s 
B)0.50 m/s 
C)0.67 m/s 
D)1.0 m/s 
E)1.3 m/s

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The average velocity between two points is given by the slope of the straight line joining those two points. Hence, we need to draw a straight line between the position of the particle at t = 1.0 s and t = 4.0 s, as shown in the figure below.

The distance traveled by the particle during this time interval is Δx = 3.0 m. The time interval is Δt = 4.0 s - 1.0 s = 3.0 s. Therefore, the average velocity of the particle is

average velocity = Δx / Δt = (3.0 m) / (3.0 s) = 1.0 m/s.

Thus, the correct answer is (C) 0.67 m/s.

The Graph in the Figure Shows the Position of a Particle