Question

A gnat takes off from one end of a pencil and flies around erratically for 37.6 seconds before landing on the other end of the same pencil. If the gnat flew a total distance of 6.65 meters, and the pencil is 0.0763 m long, find the gnat\'s average speed, as well as the magnitude of the gnat\'s average velocity vector.

Answer 1

Answer on Question #54359, Physics Mechanics Kinematics Dynamics

A gnat takes off from one end of a pencil and flies around erratically for 37.6 seconds before landing on the other end of the same pencil. If the gnat flew a total distance of 6.65 meters, and the pencil is 0.0763 m long, find the gnat's average speed, as well as the magnitude of the gnat's average velocity vector.

Answer:

The gnat's average speed

$$\langle v \rangle = \frac{\text{distance}}{\text{time}} = \frac{6.65\,m}{37.6\,s} = 0.18\,m/s$$

The magnitude of the gnat's average velocity vector

$$\langle \vec{v} \rangle = \frac{\text{the length of the pencil}}{\text{time}} = \frac{0.0763\,m}{37.6\,s} = 0.002\,m/s$$