Final answer:
The student's question contains a likely error, as a car traveling 45 km in 5.0 seconds would imply an unfeasible average speed. Assuming a more rational timeframe illustrates how average speed is calculated by dividing the total distance by total time taken to cover that distance.
Step-by-step explanation:
The equation to calculate average speed (velocity) is Vavg = distance / time. However, the scenario provided of a car traveling 45 km in 5.0 seconds is physically unrealistic because this would mean the car would have to be traveling at phenomenal speeds that are not achievable by conventional vehicles and it likely represents a typo or mistake in the question. It is important to recognize that such incredibly high speeds are not typical for a car and might indicate an error that should be addressed.
If we assume a more reasonable time frame for a car traveling 45 km, using the correct formula where Vavg is average velocity, distance is 45 km (which we convert to meters by multiplying by 1,000), and time is the duration of the travel in seconds, we would calculate the average speed for a car. For example, if a car were to travel 45 km in 3,600 seconds (1 hour), its average speed would be calculated as follows: Vavg = 45,000 m / 3,600 s = 12.5 m/s.