Question

Differentiate between
Average velocity and relative velocity​

Answer 1

Average velocity

The average velocity of an object is its total displacement divided by the total time taken. In other words, it is the rate at which an object changes its position from one place to another. Average velocity is a vector quantity. The SI unit is meters per second(m/s).

Example of Average velocity

Someone who takes 40 minutes to drive 20 miles north and then 20 miles south (to end up at the same place), has an average speed of 40 miles divided by 40 minutes, or 1 mile per minute (60 mph). Average velocity, however, involves total displacement, instead of distance.

Relative velocity

The velocity of an object A relative to another object B is the velocity that objects A would appear to have to an observer moving with B. One obvious example of this is to work out how long it will take two objects traveling along a line at different velocities to collide

Example of Relative velocity

You are in a bus and it goes with a velocity of 50 m/s to the east, then a truck passes you with a velocity of 60m/s to the east. Velocity of the moving objects with respect to other moving or stationary object is called “relative velocity” and this motion is called “relative motion”.

Answer 2

The difference between velocity and relative velocity is that velocity is measured with respect to a reference point which is relative to a different point. While relative velocity is measured in a frame where an object is either at rest or moving with respect to the absolute frame.