With constant acceleration, average velocity is the arithmetic mean of initial and final velocities.
Difficulty
Intermediate
Read time
5 min
Prerequisites
Basic algebra, consistent units, and the stated model assumptions
Source
OpenStax, College Physics 2e, §2.5 (Paul Peter Urone and Roger Hinrichs)OpenFormulaGraph equation reference; FormuLab adaptation details and license are provided below.
Adapted from OpenFormulaGraph, under CC BY 4.0.
FormuLab adapted wording, notation, applicability conditions and topic placement, and expanded the numerical check into a worked example.
With constant acceleration, average velocity is the arithmetic mean of initial and final velocities. Multiplying this mean by elapsed time gives signed displacement.
| Symbol | Meaning | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Displacement | ||
| Velocity (initial) | ||
| Velocity (final) | ||
| Time |
Find displacement from endpoint velocities.
Compare travel over constant-acceleration intervals.
A body changes velocity uniformly from 0 to +6 m/s in 3 s. Find its displacement.
OpenFormulaGraph equation reference; FormuLab adaptation details and license are provided below.
Adapted from OpenFormulaGraph, under CC BY 4.0.
FormuLab adapted wording, notation, applicability conditions and topic placement, and expanded the numerical check into a worked example.
Assumptions
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