• Question: What do we mean when we talk about constant speed?

    Asked by emmagrace to Dalya, Derek, Sarah, Tim, Tom on 19 Jun 2011.
    • Photo: Derek McKay-Bukowski

      Derek McKay-Bukowski answered on 17 Jun 2011:

      This is a speed that is not changing. So, when you travel at, say, 10 miles per hour, you have to stay at EXACTLY 10 miles per hour. No changing speed to go faster or slow… and no changing direction either (which is also changing speed, by increasing speed in one direction and decreasing it in another).

      From a physics point of view, constant speed is a special state to be in, because it means there are no forces acting (or that the forces are perfectly balanced). Also, constant speeds are relative. If you have two things in completely empty space, moving apart at 10 miles and hour, is one moving or the other, or both at half the speed? The fact is that it is irrelevant. Constant speed is a neutral reference frame.

    • Photo: Tom Crick

      Tom Crick answered on 18 Jun 2011:

      When an object is travelling at a constant speed it is not accelerating or decelerating, its speed is not changing (hence constant).

      Question for you: what is the difference between speed and velocity?

    • Photo: Tim Millar

      Tim Millar answered on 19 Jun 2011:

      I concur…

    • Photo: Sarah Thomas

      Sarah Thomas answered on 19 Jun 2011:

      I agree 🙂

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