The average speed of a moving object during a given interval of time is always:
A)the magnitude of its average velocity over the interval
B)the distance covered during the time interval divided by the time interval
C)one-half its speed at the end of the interval
D)its acceleration multiplied by the time interval
E)one-half its acceleration multiplied by the time interval.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The average speed of a moving object during a given interval of time is the total distance covered during that interval divided by the time interval. It does not take into account the direction of motion, which is considered in average velocity. Option A is incorrect because average velocity considers the direction of motion, and thus, the magnitude of the average velocity may be different from the average speed. Option C, D and E are incorrect because they do not represent the definition of average speed.

The Average Speed of a Moving Object During a Given