A boat travels a distance L downstream and then the same distance L upstream, returning to its starting point. Its speed relative to water is u and river speed is v, with u > v. The average velocity for the complete trip is:
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Question

A boat travels a distance L downstream and then the same distance L upstream, returning to its starting point. Its speed relative to water is u and river speed is v, with u > v. The average velocity for the complete trip is:

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G1 Physics · Accepted Answer

Average velocity = total displacement/total time. Since the boat returns to its starting point, total displacement is zero. Therefore average velocity is 0. Note that its average speed is (u² - v²)/u, which is not zero.

A boat travels a distance L downstream and then the same distance L upstream, returning to its starting point. Its speed relative to water is u and river speed is v, with u &gt; v. The average velocity for the complete trip is:

A boat travels a distance L downstream and then the same distance L upstream, returning to its starting point. Its speed relative to water is u and river speed is v, with u > v. The average velocity for the complete trip is: