Question

A 100-meter sprint is a race using only the straight side of a racetrack. A 400-meter sprint is a race that makes one complete lap around a racetrack. Why are velocity and speed the same for a 100-m sprint but not a 400-m sprint?

Answer 1

the displacement for a 100m sprint is 100m and the displacement for a 400-m sprint is 0 because he makes one complete lap the position is not changed so the displacement is 0. Velocity is displacement/time so velocity for a 400-m sprint is 0

Answer 2

Answer with Explanation:

velocity and speed are the same for a 100-m sprint but not a 400-m sprint because velocity is Displacement/Time i.e since in 100-m sprint race, the athlete run from point A to B on a straight line (distance traveled in a specific direction - Displacement), but in 400-m sprint race, the athlete run from point A back to point A (coming back to the origin), the athlete didn't just travel in one direction.

Therefore their velocity and speed can't be the same since they don't have equal displacement.