Instantaneous velocity is the velocity of an object at a specific moment in time. It is a measure of how fast and in what direction an object is moving at an exact point in time.
While average velocity is calculated by dividing the total distance traveled by the total time taken, instantaneous velocity is calculated by taking the limit of the average velocity as the time interval approaches zero. In other words, instantaneous velocity measures the velocity at a single moment, while average velocity measures the overall velocity over a period of time.
The formula for calculating instantaneous velocity is v = limΔt→0 Δx / Δt, where v is the instantaneous velocity, Δx is the change in position and Δt is the change in time.
Instantaneous velocity can be measured using various tools such as a speedometer, radar gun, or GPS system. These tools measure the change in position over a very small time interval, allowing for a more accurate calculation of instantaneous velocity.
Instantaneous velocity is important in science because it helps us understand the motion of objects at a particular moment in time. It is also a key concept in calculus and is used to study the rate of change of a moving object, which is essential in many scientific fields such as physics and engineering.