Calculating Average Speed A Car Travels 180 Km In 3 Hours. What Is The Average Speed Of The Car In Km/h?

Let's dive into how to solve this classic physics problem! We're going to break down the steps to calculate average speed, making it super easy to understand. So, you've got a car cruising down the road, covering 180 kilometers in 3 hours, and you need to figure out its average speed. No worries, we've got you covered! Average speed is a fundamental concept in physics, and it's all about understanding the relationship between distance, time, and how fast something is moving. So, grab your mental calculators, and let's get started!

Understanding Average Speed

First things first, let's get clear on what average speed actually means. Average speed isn't just about how fast the car is going at any single moment; it's the total distance traveled divided by the total time taken. Think of it like this: if you drive for an hour in heavy traffic and then speed along the highway for another hour, your average speed will smooth out those differences. It's the constant speed you would have to maintain to cover the same distance in the same amount of time. For example, if a car travels 180 kilometers in 3 hours, we want to know what single speed it could maintain to cover that distance consistently. This is different from instantaneous speed, which is the speed at a specific moment, like what your speedometer reads. Average speed gives us a broader picture of the journey. To calculate it, we use a simple formula that we'll explore in detail shortly. Understanding this difference is key to solving problems like the one we have here. It helps us focus on the overall trip rather than getting bogged down in the details of varying speeds. So, let's keep this definition in mind as we move forward and tackle the calculation.

The Formula for Average Speed

The key to cracking this problem is knowing the formula for average speed. Here it is:

Average Speed = Total Distance / Total Time

This formula is your best friend when you're dealing with these types of questions. It tells us that to find the average speed, we simply divide the total distance the car traveled by the total time it took. Remember, it's super important to use consistent units. If your distance is in kilometers and your time is in hours, your speed will be in kilometers per hour (km/h). If you have miles and hours, you'll get miles per hour (mph), and so on. For instance, if you have the distance in meters and time in seconds, your speed will be in meters per second (m/s). Keeping the units consistent helps avoid errors and makes your calculations much smoother. So, always double-check your units before you start plugging numbers into the formula. Now that we've got the formula down, let's see how we can apply it to our specific problem. We've got the total distance and the total time, so we're all set to find the average speed. Let's move on to the next step and put this formula to work!

Applying the Formula to Our Problem

Alright, now let's put our formula to work with the information we have! The problem tells us that the car traveled a total distance of 180 kilometers, and it took 3 hours to do so. So, we have all the pieces we need to plug into our average speed formula. Let's write it out:

Average Speed = 180 km / 3 hours

See? It's as simple as that! We're just taking the total distance and dividing it by the total time. This will give us the average speed in kilometers per hour (km/h), which is exactly what the question is asking for. Now, all that's left is to do the division. You can use a calculator if you like, but this one is pretty straightforward to do in your head. Think of it like this: how many times does 3 fit into 180? Once we've done the calculation, we'll have our answer. So, let's move on to the next step where we'll actually perform the division and find the average speed of the car. Get ready to see how easy this really is!

Solving the Problem

Okay, let's get down to business and do the math. We've got our formula:

Average Speed = 180 km / 3 hours

Now, we just need to divide 180 by 3. If you're doing this in your head, you can break it down. Think of 180 as 18 tens. So, we're really dividing 18 tens by 3. How many times does 3 go into 18? It goes in 6 times. So, 18 divided by 3 is 6, and that means 180 divided by 3 is 60. If you prefer using a calculator, just punch in 180 ÷ 3, and you'll get the same result: 60. So, what does that 60 represent? Remember, we were dividing kilometers by hours, so our answer is in kilometers per hour (km/h). That means the average speed of the car is 60 km/h. We've successfully calculated the average speed using the formula and the information given in the problem. Now, let's take a look at the answer choices and see which one matches our result. This is the final step in solving the problem, and it's always satisfying to see that your hard work has paid off!

Identifying the Correct Answer

We've crunched the numbers and found that the average speed of the car is 60 km/h. Now, let's look at the answer choices provided in the question:

a) 50 km/h b) 60 km/h c) 70 km/h d) 80 km/h

It's clear that option (b) 60 km/h matches our calculated average speed. So, the correct answer is b) 60 km/h. See how straightforward it is when you break it down step by step? We identified the formula, plugged in the values, did the math, and then matched our result to the answer choices. This is a classic example of how physics problems can be solved with a clear understanding of the concepts and a systematic approach. Make sure to double-check your work and units to avoid any simple mistakes. Now that we've found the correct answer, let's take a moment to recap the entire process and reinforce what we've learned. This will help you tackle similar problems with confidence in the future.

Justification and Explanation

To justify our answer, let's walk through the entire process again, step by step. This will not only reinforce our understanding but also provide a clear explanation of how we arrived at the solution. We started by identifying that the problem was asking for the average speed of a car that traveled 180 kilometers in 3 hours. We then recalled the formula for average speed:

Average Speed = Total Distance / Total Time

Next, we plugged in the given values into the formula:

Average Speed = 180 km / 3 hours

We then performed the division:

Average Speed = 60 km/h

This calculation shows that the car's average speed is 60 kilometers per hour. To put it simply, if the car maintained a constant speed, it would travel 60 kilometers every hour. This constant speed over the 3-hour journey results in the total distance of 180 kilometers. Therefore, the answer of 60 km/h is justified because it accurately represents the average rate at which the car covered the distance over the given time. We also confirmed that this result matches option (b) in the answer choices. This detailed justification provides a clear and logical explanation of how we solved the problem, ensuring that anyone can follow along and understand the reasoning behind our answer. Now, let's wrap things up with a final summary of the key concepts and steps we've covered.

Final Thoughts

So, guys, we've successfully solved a classic average speed problem! We started with a car traveling 180 km in 3 hours and figured out its average speed is 60 km/h. We did this by using the formula:

Average Speed = Total Distance / Total Time

Remember, average speed is all about the overall journey, not the speed at any particular moment. We plugged in the values, did the math, and boom – we had our answer! The key takeaways here are understanding the formula, keeping your units consistent, and breaking the problem down into manageable steps. This approach will help you tackle all sorts of physics problems with confidence. Whether you're dealing with cars, planes, or even just people walking, the concept of average speed remains the same. So, keep practicing, and you'll become a pro at these calculations in no time! And hey, if you ever get stuck, just remember this example and the steps we followed. You've got this! Now, go out there and conquer those physics challenges!