Question

In an unusual move by the New York State Department of Transportation, all of the "speed limit" signs were replaced with "velocity limit" signs.Why are the devices in cars called speedometers and not velocitometers? a. What would such a sign look like? b. How could one travel faster than the old speed limit, without violating

Answer 1

Speedometers measure instantaneous speed, which is the magnitude of how fast a vehicle is traveling, whereas velocity includes both magnitude and direction. The term 'speed limit' commonly refers to the maximum speed allowed, not taking direction into consideration, which is why devices are called speedometers, not velocitometers.

Step-by-step explanation:

The devices in cars are called speedometers and not velocitometers because a speedometer measures the instantaneous speed of the vehicle, not its velocity. The distinction is important in physics; speed is a scalar quantity representing how fast an object is moving, while velocity is a vector quantity that describes both the speed and direction of an object's movement. An odometer, on the other hand, measures the total distance traveled, which is not the same as displacement since it does not account for direction.

Regarding the question of how one could travel faster than the old speed limit without violating the new velocity limit, it's a matter of semantics since the terms are often used interchangeably in daily life. However, hypothetically, if 'velocity limit' were interpreted to mean the vector quantity, you would theoretically not be violating the limit if you were travelling faster speed-wise, but your direction was continuously changing (such as going in a circle), as the directional component could potentially be factored into the velocity limit.

Answer 2

In an unusual move by the New York State Department of Transportation, all of the "speed limit" signs were replaced with "velocity limit" signs

The devices are called as 'Speedometer' and not 'Velocity meters' because speedometer only gives the magnitude of the speed but not direction while velocity is vector quantity which will show speed as well as direction of the vehicle. Such signs could possibly look like ' Maximum legally permissible strength of velocity for forward progress is 30'

Once can definitely travel faster using velocity meter than the old speed limit, it is because c=velocity includes displacement as it is vector. Hence it will allow the passengers to move in straight path without moving here and there on the road and it will help them reach their destination much faster than the old method without violating the rules.