Question

Which of the following best describes the relationship between instantaneous velocity and instantaneous speed?

a) They are equal at all times.

b) Instantaneous velocity is always greater than instantaneous speed.

c) Instantaneous velocity is always less than instantaneous speed.

d) They can be equal or different, depending on direction.

Answer 1

Instantaneous velocity and instantaneous speed are related to each other, but they have some differences. Instantaneous speed is the magnitude of instantaneous velocity and represents the rate at which an object is moving at a specific instant in time.

Step-by-step explanation:

Instantaneous velocity and instantaneous speed are related to each other, but they have some differences. Instantaneous speed is the magnitude of instantaneous velocity and represents the rate at which an object is moving at a specific instant in time. It is a scalar quantity, which means it only has magnitude and no direction. In contrast, instantaneous velocity is a vector quantity that includes both magnitude and direction.

For example, if a car is moving at a speed of 60 km/h to the east, its instantaneous speed at a given moment is 60 km/h. However, its instantaneous velocity includes both the magnitude (60 km/h) and the direction (east).

Therefore, option d) is correct: instantaneous velocity and instantaneous speed can be equal or different, depending on the direction of motion.