Velocity refers to the rate of change in displacement. True or false.
The Correct Answer and Explanation is:
True.
Velocity refers to the rate at which an object’s displacement changes over time. It is a vector quantity, meaning it has both magnitude (speed) and direction. Displacement itself is defined as the change in position of an object, measured as the shortest distance between its initial and final positions, along with the direction of that change.
In more formal terms, velocity is calculated by dividing the displacement by the time taken for that displacement. Mathematically, it is represented as:v=ΔxΔtv = \frac{\Delta x}{\Delta t}v=ΔtΔx
where vvv is the velocity, Δx\Delta xΔx is the displacement, and Δt\Delta tΔt is the time interval over which the displacement occurs. This equation shows that velocity is indeed the rate of change of displacement with respect to time.
While speed is often used in everyday language, it only describes how fast an object is moving, without indicating the direction. In contrast, velocity provides more information by also considering the direction of motion. For instance, if a car travels 100 meters north in 10 seconds, its velocity is 10 meters per second to the north. If it instead travels the same distance in the opposite direction, the velocity would be negative, indicating motion in the opposite direction.
Velocity can also be constant or variable. If an object moves in a straight line at a constant speed and direction, it has constant velocity. However, if either the speed or direction changes, the object is said to have variable velocity, which can be described as instantaneous velocity at any given point in time.
