What is the average speed of the car for the 10 second interval?

Question

The velocity vs. time graph for the motion of a car on a straight track is shown in the diagram. The thick line represents the velocity. Assume that the car starts at the origin x = 0.

What is the average speed of the car for the 10 second interval? 

(A) 1.20 m/s 

(B) 1.40 m/s 

(C) 3.30 m/s 

(D) 5.00 m/s 

(E) 5.40 m/s  

Answer 1

Correct option (D) 5.00 m/s

Average speed = (total distance)/(total time), the total distance is the magnitude of the area under the line (the area below the t-axis is considered positive)