1. Unit 1: Velocity
Lesson 1

2. Scalars and Vectors
Scalars: Magnitude only Examples Mass Temperature Distance Speed
Vectors: Magnitude and direction
Examples
Displacement (30 km East)
Velocity (20 m/s North)

3. Symbols and Definitions
v = velocity (vector)
v = speed (scalar)
d = displacement (vector)
= difference between initial and final positions, including direction
d = distance (scalar)
t = time

4. Example 1 You drive straight North to Whistler
(120 km due North of your house) in
2 hours and then back to Squamish
(60 km due north of your house)
in one hour. Find
a) the average speed for the whole trip
b) the average velocity for the whole trip.
d = = 180 km (direction not important)
v = d/t = 180 km/3h = 60 km/h
d = 120 – 60 = +60 km
v = +60/3 = +20 km/h or 20 km/h North
I do – 10 min

5. Brain Break!

6. v=d/t Try This: A runner runs at 5.0 m/s.
How far can she run in 5 minutes?
How long would it take her to complete a marathon (42.2 km) at this pace?
a) t = 5 x 60 = 300 s
d = vt = (5m/s) (300s) = 1500 m
b) t = d/v = ( m)/(5m/s)
= 8440 s
= 141 minutes
20 min

7. v=d/t HW: Velocity Review worksheet
Try This: It takes an Olympic sprinter 10 seconds to run the 100 m race. How fast do they run? Answer in m/s and km/h.
d = 100 m
t = 10 seconds
v = 100 m/10 s
= 10 m/s Or
v = 0.1 km/(10/3600 h)
= 36 km/h
Conversion: m/s x 3.6 = km/h
HW: Velocity Review worksheet
10 min