Final answer:
The student's question is answered using the base equation of velocity, v = d / t, where the distance (d) is found by multiplying the given velocity of 123 m/s by the time of 5 seconds, resulting in a distance of 615 meters.
Step-by-step explanation:
Velocity is a physical vector quantity: both magnitude and direction are needed to define it. The scalar absolute value (magnitude) of velocity is called speed, being a coherent derived unit whose quantity is measured in the SI (metric system) as metres per second (m/s or m⋅s−1).
The student's question involves the base equation for velocity: v = d / t, where 'v' represents velocity, 'd' is distance, and 't' is time. In this case, the student provided velocity (v) as 123 m/s and time (t) as 5 seconds. To find the distance (d), we multiply velocity by time, yielding d = v * t = 123 m/s * 5 s = 615 meters.
This situation is a common physics problem, demonstrating uniform motion, where an object moves at a constant velocity. The formula provides the fundamental relationship between distance traveled, time taken, and an object's velocity, which is one of the essential concepts in kinematics, a sub-field of physics dealing with motion.