CHAPTER 03 & 04 Std.

XI
For NCERT and JEE-Mains
04 AVERAGE SPEED & AVERAGE VELOCITY

AVERAGE SPEED: This is defined as the ratio

of total distance travelled to total time taken
to travel that distance.
x = x1 x = x2
Total Distance Covered @ time t1 @ time t2
Average Speed v =
Total Time Taken
Let us consider a car travelling from position x1
Example: to x2.
If Car is travelling 550 km from Ahmedabad At time t1 it start from position x1 and it
to Mumbai with different speeds across reaches to position x2 at time t2.
different passage of time and it takes 10 hr to
reach there, then the average speed of car is It covers distance ∆𝑥 = 𝑥2 − 𝑥1 during time
<v> = 550/10 = 55 km/h. ∆𝑡 = 𝑡2 − 𝑡1.
In this case, its average speed is defined as:
∆𝑥 𝑥2 − 𝑥1
𝑣 = =
∆𝑡 𝑡2 − 𝑡1
2019 COPYRIGHT @BOSON PHYSICS WITH PRANAV | WWW.BOSON.IN 2
AVERAGE VELOCITY: This is defined as the Let us consider a particle which travels from
ratio of net displacement done to total time point A to point B, whose position vectors are 𝑟1
taken to complete that displacement. and 𝑟2 respectively.

Net displacement The particle travels from point A to B on the

Average velocity ⟨𝑣⟩
Ԧ = path shown by dotted line. It starts from A at
Total Time Taken
time t1 and reaches to B at time t2.

@ t = t2 Here, 𝐴𝐵 = ∆𝑟Ԧ = 𝑟2 − 𝑟1 is the displacement

B of particle during time interval t = t2 – t1.
Distance
In this case, its average velocity of particle is
𝑟2 - 𝑟1
𝑟2 defined as:
∆𝑟Ԧ 𝑟2 − 𝑟1
𝑣 = =
A
∆𝑡 𝑡2 − 𝑡1
𝑟1
@ t = t1

2019 COPYRIGHT @BOSON PHYSICS WITH PRANAV | WWW.BOSON.IN 3

05 DIFFERENT FORMULAS FOR AVERAGE SPEED

▪ BASIC FORMULA: ▪ SAME DISTANCE FORMULA FOR

Total Distance Covered n DISTANCES
Average Speed v =
Total Time Taken 𝑛 1 1 1
= + + ⋯+
▪ WHEN INITIAL & FINAL SPEEDS < 𝑣 > 𝑣1 𝑣2 𝑣𝑛
ARE GIVEN:
𝑣+𝑢 ▪ DIFFERENT TIME FORMULA FOR n SPEEDS:
Average Speed v = 𝑣1 𝑡1 + 𝑣2 𝑡2 + ⋯ + 𝑣𝑛 𝑡𝑛
2 Average Speed v =
▪ DIFFERENT DISTANCE FORMULA: 𝑡1 + 𝑡2 + ⋯ + 𝑡𝑛
𝑑1 + 𝑑2 ▪ SAME TIME FORMULA FOR n SPEEDS:
Average Speed v =
𝑑1 𝑑2
+ 𝑣1 +𝑣2 + ⋯ + 𝑣𝑛
𝑣1 𝑣2 Average Speed v =
𝑛
▪ SAME DISTANCE FORMULA FOR TWO SPEEDS:
2 𝑣1 𝑣2
Average Speed v =
𝑣1 + 𝑣2
2019 COPYRIGHT @BOSON PHYSICS WITH PRANAV | WWW.BOSON.IN 4
▪ When position x is given as a function of
time i.e. x = f(t) given
Find 𝑥1 putting time 𝑡1 and find 𝑥2 putting time
𝑡2 , then
∆𝑥 𝑥2−𝑥1
Average Speed 𝑣 = =
∆𝑡 𝑡2−𝑡1

▪ When position vector 𝒓 is given as a

function of time i.e. 𝒓 = 𝒇(𝒕) given

Find 𝑟Ԧ1 putting time 𝑡1 and find 𝑟Ԧ2 putting time

𝑡2 , then
∆𝑟Ԧ 𝑟2 −𝑟1
Average velocity 𝑣Ԧ = =
∆𝑡 𝑡2−𝑡1

2019 COPYRIGHT @BOSON PHYSICS WITH PRANAV | WWW.BOSON.IN 5

Sr.
Average Speed Average Velocity
No.
It is ratio of total length of path
It is ratio of net displacement to the
1. covered between two points to total
total time taken by moving object.
time taken by moving object.
2. It is scalar. It is vector.
3. It is always positive. It may be positive, negative or zero.

4. Average Speed  |Average Velocity| |Average Velocity|  Average Speed

5. It is path dependent. It is independent of path travelled.

6. For moving body, it can not be zero. For moving body, it can be zero.

2019 COPYRIGHT @BOSON PHYSICS WITH PRANAV | WWW.BOSON.IN 6

Example:
As shown in figure, an ant moves along circular
path of radius 1 cm from point P to Q. If time
taken by ant for this is 1 min then find its
displacement, average velocity and average
speed.
Example:
Distance between two stations is 40 km on
straight path. A train takes 1 hr to travel this
distance. Train after starting from first station,
move with constant acceleration for 5 km, then it
moves with constant velocity for 20 km and finally
its speed decreases continuously for 15 km and it
stops. Find maximum velocity of train.
Example:
Monkey runs along with car for 200 m. Out of
this, it covers 100 m with speed 50 m/s and next
100 m in 10 second. Find its average speed.
Example:
A sparrow flies for 1 min with speed 20 kmph
and then flies with speed 10 kmph for next 30
sec. Find average speed of sparrow.
Example:
Person travels between two cities. He covers half
of the total distance between cities with speed v0.
For the total time taken by person to complete
remaining half distance, for half of the time, his
speed is v1 and for remaining time his speed is v2.
Find average speed.
NCERT Exercise 02.10:
Ramukaka walk from home towards market
situated 2.5 km away from home with speed 6
km/hr and found market is closed. As he was late
in his work, he walks bit faster with speed 7.5
km/h in returning to home. From starting point of
his travel from home what is the average sped of
Ramukaka during interval of (a) 30 min (b) 50
min and (c) 40 min?
Example:
Position of car moving on straight path changing
with respect to time as per function, 𝑥(𝑡) =
(3𝑡 2 − 2𝑡 + 1) 𝑚.
Find:
(a) Initial position of car
(b) Distance travelled by car during 10 sec
(c) Average velocity of car during 10 sec
Here, t is time in second.
NCERT Exercise 02.04:
A drunkard (monster!!) walking in a narrow lane
takes 5 steps forward and 3 steps backward,
followed again by 5 steps forward and 3 steps
backward, and so on. Each step is 1 m long and
requires 1 second. Determine graphically and
otherwise how long the drunkard takes to fall in
pit 13 m away from the start?
06 INSTANTANEOUS SPEED & INSTANTANEOUS VELOCITY

INSTANTANEOUS SPEED: When we take the It covers distance ∆𝑥 = 𝑥2 − 𝑥1 during time

distance between two points close to zero ∆𝑡 = 𝑡2 − 𝑡1.
then we find that the average speed of object In this case, its average speed is defined as:
travelling between those two points tends to
∆𝑥 𝑥2 − 𝑥1
instantaneous speed. 𝑣 = =
∆𝑡 𝑡2 − 𝑡1
When we reduce the gap between two points
i.e. ∆𝑥 → 0 then the time gap ∆𝑡 will also
reduce i.e. ∆𝑡 → 0.
x = x1 x = x2
@ time t1 @ time t2 Under this circumstances, average speed
becomes instantaneous speed and hence;
Let us consider a car travelling from position x1
to x2. Instantaneous speed is defined as:

At time t1 it start from position x1 and it reaches ∆𝑥 𝑑𝑥

𝑣𝑖 = lim 𝑣 = lim =
to position x2 at time t2. ∆𝑡→0 ∆𝑡→0 ∆𝑡 𝑑𝑡

2019 COPYRIGHT @BOSON PHYSICS WITH PRANAV | WWW.BOSON.IN 18

Example:
Position of particle at time t is given by:
𝑥(𝑡) = (3𝑡2 + 2𝑡 − 1)𝑚
Calculate its instantaneous speed at 𝑡 = 2 𝑠𝑒𝑐.

2019 COPYRIGHT @BOSON PHYSICS WITH PRANAV | WWW.BOSON.IN 21

INSTANTANEOUS VELOCITY: When we take Let us consider a particle which travels from
the displacement between two points close to point A to point B, whose position vectors are 𝑟1
zero then we find that the average velocity of and 𝑟2 respectively.
object travelling between those two points tends
The particle travels from point A to B on the
to instantaneous velocity.
path shown by dotted line. It starts from A at
time t1 and reaches to B at time t2.
@ t = t2
B
Here, 𝐴𝐵 = ∆𝑟Ԧ = 𝑟2 − 𝑟1 is the displacement
Distance
of particle during time interval t = t2 – t1.
𝑟2 - 𝑟1
𝑟2 In this case, its average velocity of particle is
defined as:
𝑟1 A ∆𝑟Ԧ 𝑟2 − 𝑟1
@ t = t1 𝑣 = =
∆𝑡 𝑡2 − 𝑡1

2019 COPYRIGHT @BOSON PHYSICS WITH PRANAV | WWW.BOSON.IN 22

▪ When we reduce the gap between two Example:
points i.e. ∆𝑟Ԧ → 0 then the time gap ∆𝑡 will Position of particle at time t is given by:
also reduce i.e. ∆𝑡 → 0.
𝑟Ԧ 𝑡 = 5𝑡2 − 𝑡 − 9 𝑖Ƹ 𝑚
▪ Under this circumstances, average speed
becomes instantaneous speed and hence; Calculate its instantaneous velocity at 𝑡 = 3 𝑠𝑒𝑐.

▪ Instantaneous velocity is defined as:

∆𝑟Ԧ
𝑣𝑖 = lim 𝑣Ԧ = lim
∆𝑡→0 ∆𝑡→0 ∆𝑡

𝑑 𝑟Ԧ
∴ Instantaneous velocity 𝑣𝑖 =
𝑑𝑡

2019 COPYRIGHT @BOSON PHYSICS WITH PRANAV | WWW.BOSON.IN 23

NCERT Example 02.01:
The position of an object moving along x-axis is
given by 𝑥 = 𝑎 + 𝑏𝑡2 where 𝑎 = 8.5 m, 𝑏 =
2.5 ms–2 and t is measured in second.
(a) What is its velocity at t = 0s and t = 2s?
(b) What is the average velocity between t = 2s
and t = 4s?

2019 COPYRIGHT @BOSON PHYSICS WITH PRANAV | WWW.BOSON.IN 24

2019 COPYRIGHT @BOSON PHYSICS WITH PRANAV | WWW.BOSON.IN 25