An airplane travels 500 km due west in 2 hours. What is its average velocity?

To determine the average velocity of the airplane, we start by recalling that average velocity is defined as the displacement divided by the time taken. In this case, the airplane travels 500 kilometers due west in a time of 2 hours.

First, we need to convert the distance from kilometers to meters for consistency in units, knowing that 1 kilometer equals 1000 meters. Therefore, 500 kilometers is equal to 500,000 meters.

Next, we convert the time from hours to seconds, using the fact that 1 hour equals 3600 seconds. Thus, 2 hours is equivalent to 2 × 3600 = 7200 seconds.

Now, we can calculate the average velocity:

[

\text{Average Velocity} = \frac{\text{Displacement}}{\text{Time}} = \frac{500,000 \text{ m}}{7200 \text{ s}} \approx 69.4 \text{ m/s}

]

Since the direction of travel is due west, we can specify that the average velocity is 69.4 m/s due west.

The correct answer reflects both the magnitude of the calculated average velocity and the direction of travel, reinforcing the definition of velocity that incorporates direction