Average velocity can be calculated using the formula $v_{avg} = \frac{\Delta x}{\Delta t}$, where $\Delta x$ is displacement and $\Delta t$ is the time interval.
Unlike average speed, average velocity considers direction, making it a vector quantity.
If an object returns to its starting point, its average velocity is zero even if it has traveled some distance.
In uniform motion, where velocity does not change, the average velocity equals the instantaneous velocity at any point in time.
Average velocity can be graphically determined as the slope of the line connecting two points on a position-time graph.
Review Questions
How do you calculate average velocity using displacement and time?
Why is average velocity considered a vector quantity?
What would be the average velocity of an object that travels in a circular path and returns to its starting point?
Related terms
Displacement: The change in position of an object from its initial point to its final point; a vector quantity.
Instantaneous Velocity: The velocity of an object at a specific moment in time; also a vector quantity.
Average Speed: $\frac{\text{Total distance}}{\text{Total time}}$; unlike average velocity, it is a scalar quantity and does not consider direction.