Question

Can instantaneous velocity ever be negative?

Answer 1

No, I don't believe it can

Answer 2

No, think about a car. If its moving, it would be positive velocity, if it stops, it becomes neutral, not negative. A car can't go -25 m/h, can it? A car can go 25 m/h though. Good luck in your studies!
\[\color{red}{Andy}\color{blue}{|}\color{purple}{(A)Andriod09}\]

Answer 3

it can. given that instantaneous velocity is \(v(t)=x'(t)\).
negative velocity means "going back in the other direction".
Concl: it CAN if you consider the velocity as "vector". It CANNOT if you consider the "numerical" velocity..

Answer 4

Thank you so much @reemii
I was worried about that as a factor.

Answer 5

yw.
a vector in \(\mathbb R\), that's a bit weird, so that's why usually ppl only think in "numerical" terms, like for a car (example above).

Answer 6

@reemii
even if an object is moving in the opposite direction, its instantaneous velocity would be zero....
-0=0
please correct me if i am wrong.

Answer 7

ok, if it goes "to the right" and then "to the left", there is a moment \(t_0\) in which hte velcity will be 0, that's right. but afterwards, it wil be moving, so the velocity is not zero.

Answer 8

since the question asked was about the velocity of an object INSTANTANEOUSLY at rest, then it is always zero no matter its direction....

Answer 9

it is true that "instantaneously" it does not move much, but with this reasoning, you can prove this: it has a zero velocity at any time \(t\) between 0 and 1, therefore the it doesn't move! (therefore no car can move)

Answer 10

the "instantaneous velocity" is Defined as \(x'(t) = \lim_{h\to0}\frac{x(t+h)-x(t)}{h}\).