Calculating Average Velocity of Dropped Bolt From High-Rise Building

[Draggu]

Homework Statement

A construction worker drops a bolt while working on a high-rise building 320m above the ground. After t seconds, the bolt has fallen a distance of s metres, where s(t) = 320-5t^2, 0 <= t <=8

Find the average velocity for the interval 3<=y<=8

Homework Equations

The Attempt at a Solution

I used the formulas [tex]\Delta[/tex]s / [tex]\Delta[/tex]t
which then =
s(8) - s(3) / (8-3)

~
~
=55

Is this right?

 

[snipez90]

The magnitude is correct but I think you want to keep the negative sign to indicate direction.

 

[Architeuthis Dux]

Yes, your calculation is correct. The average velocity for the interval 3<=y<=8 is 55 m/s. This means that on average, the bolt fell 55 meters per second during that time interval. It is important to note that this is the average velocity, not the instantaneous velocity at a specific point in time. To calculate the instantaneous velocity, you would need to take the derivative of the position function s(t).