You run one lap around a 400 m circular track in a time of 10 s. What’s your average velocity?

1. Break Down the Problem

To find the average velocity, we need to determine two key pieces of information:

• The total distance covered.
• The total time taken.

2. Relevant Concepts

Average velocity is defined as the total displacement divided by the total time taken. For a circular track:

• Total distance for one lap = Circumference of the track = 400 m
• Displacement for one complete lap around a circular track returns to the starting point, so displacement = 0 m.

3. Analysis and Detail

We know:

• Distance covered in one lap = $D = 400 \, \text{m}$
• Time taken = $t = 10 \, \text{s}$
• Displacement = $0 \, \text{m}$ since the starting and ending points are the same.

Now, we can calculate average velocity using the formula: $\text{Average Velocity (v)} = \frac{\text{Displacement}}{\text{Time}} = \frac{0 \, \text{m}}{10 \, \text{s}} = 0 \, \text{m/s}$

4. Verify and Summarize

Since the displacement is $0 \, \text{m}$ for a complete lap around the circular track, the average velocity is correctly calculated as $0 \, \text{m/s}$.

Final Answer

The average velocity is $0 \, \text{m/s}$.