Final answer:
Average speed is the distance traveled divided by the time it took, while average velocity is displacement divided by time, and signifies direction. Average acceleration is the change in velocity over time, and deceleration is negative acceleration, indicating slowing down.
Step-by-step explanation:
Average speed is defined as the total distance traveled divided by the elapsed time during which motion occurs. For example, if a car travels 150 kilometers in 3 hours, the average speed would be calculated as 150 km divided by 3 hours, giving us 50 kilometers per hour. The formula for average speed is Average speed = Total distance traveled / Elapsed time.
Average velocity, on the other hand, is the total displacement (change in position) divided by the elapsed time. For instance, if a person walks 100 meters to the east and then returns 100 meters back to the starting point in a total of 40 seconds, the displacement is 0, therefore the average velocity is also 0. The formula is Average velocity = Displacement / Elapsed time.
Average acceleration is the rate at which velocity changes over time. It is calculated by taking the change in velocity and dividing it by the time over which the velocity changes. An example would be if a car's velocity increases from 0 to 60 km/h in 5 seconds, the average acceleration would be (60 km/h - 0 km/h) / 5 s = 12 km/h per second. The formula for average acceleration is Average acceleration = Change in velocity / Elapsed time.
Deceleration is a specific type of acceleration where the velocity of an object decreases, meaning it is an acceleration in the direction opposite to the velocity. If a car is slowing down, it is experiencing deceleration.