Question

William rode his bicycle 100 meters south in 20 seconds and then went east another 100 meters in 20 seconds. Which of the terms can best be used to describe these changes- speed, velocity, acceleration? ​

Answer 1

The term that best describes these changes is velocity. Velocity is a vector quantity that takes into account both the magnitude and direction of motion. In this case, William's motion can be described by the velocity vectors of 100 meters south and 100 meters east. The speed, on the other hand, is a scalar quantity that only takes into account the magnitude of motion, without considering the direction. Acceleration, meanwhile, refers to the rate at which velocity changes over time, and is not relevant to this scenario since William's velocity remains constant.