Question

What the difference between speed and velocity? How fast would a ball dropped from the top of a building be moving after 2 seconds assuming the acceleration due to gravity is 10 m/s2 .

Answer 1

Speed is a scalar quantity showing how fast an object moves, while velocity is a vector that includes direction. If a ball is dropped and the acceleration due to gravity is 10 m/s², after 2 seconds the ball's velocity would be 20 m/s.

Step-by-step explanation:

The difference between speed and velocity lies in their definitions. Speed is a scalar quantity that refers to how fast an object is moving, measured as the distance traveled per unit of time. Velocity, on the other hand, is a vector quantity that also considers the direction of movement, specifying the rate at which an object changes its position.

When a ball is dropped from the top of a building, it accelerates due to gravity. Assuming an acceleration due to gravity of 10 m/s2, the velocity of the ball after 2 seconds can be calculated using the formula v = gt, where v is the final velocity, g is the acceleration due to gravity, and t is the time. After 2 seconds, the ball would be moving at 20 m/s (since 10 m/s2 x 2 s = 20 m/s).