How to Calculate Constant Velocity in Physics

Constant velocity, the distance a point or object displaces over a given time interval, is used extensively in the fields of engineering, computer programming and physics. Motion simulators, for example, must be programmed to calculate constant velocity so that pilots can learn to fly and drivers can learn to drive. Constant velocity has two components: its rate of displacement and the direction of displacement. Calculating constant velocity in two-dimensional space requires that you know the coordinates of the two points that the object moves between, and the times the object is at these two points.

Things You'll Need

  • Calculator or pencil and paper
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Instructions

    • 1

      Substitute into the constant velocity equation, given below, the point and time data to calculate the magnitude of the velocity (the rate of displacement in the direction that the point moves).

      Vc = SQRT ((Y2 - Y1)^2 + (X2-X1)^2)/(T2-T1)

      where

      Vc is the magnitude of the constant velocity (displacement per unit time)

      Y2 is the y coordinate of the point at time T2 in two-dimensional space

      Y1 is the y coordinate of the point at time T1 in two-dimensional space

      X2 is the x coordinate of the point at time T2 in two-dimensional space

      X1 is the x coordinate of the point at time T1 in two-dimensional space

    • 2

      Substitute the coordinates of the starting point and the ending point of the point or object in the equation below to calculate the direction of the constant velocity (the angle relative to the x-axis in a two-dimensional coordinate system).

      Ac = arctan ((Y2 - Y1)/(X2-X1))/(T2-T1)

      where

      Ac is the direction of the constant velocity expressed as an angle

      Y2 is the y coordinate of the point at time T2 in two-dimensional space

      Y1 is the y coordinate of the point at time T1 in two-dimensional space

      X2 is the x coordinate of the point at time T2 in two-dimensional space

      X1 is the x coordinate of the point at time T1 in two-dimensional space

    • 3

      Indicate that the constant velocity has a magnitude component equal to Vc and a direction component equal to Ac to fully define the constant velocity in terms of its magnitude and direction.

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