Calculate Average Speed: 5 Laps on a 300-Meter Radius Circular Track

Circular Motion with Distance Calculations

Ivan does laps around a circular park which has a radius of 300 meters.

He completes 5 full circuits in 35 minutes.

What was Ivan's average speed?

300300300

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Step-by-step video solution

Watch the teacher solve the problem with clear explanations
00:00 Calculate Gonen's speed
00:03 The given circle radius
00:06 We'll use the formula for calculating circle circumference
00:12 We'll substitute the radius value according to the given data and solve for the circumference
00:15 This is the circle's circumference
00:19 According to the data, Gonen circled it 5 times
00:25 This is the distance Gonen traveled
00:30 Speed equals distance divided by time
00:34 We'll substitute appropriate values and solve for speed
00:47 And this is the solution to the question

Step-by-step written solution

Follow each step carefully to understand the complete solution
1

Understand the problem

Ivan does laps around a circular park which has a radius of 300 meters.

He completes 5 full circuits in 35 minutes.

What was Ivan's average speed?

300300300

2

Step-by-step solution

To solve this problem, we'll go through the following steps:

  • Calculate the circumference of the circular park.
  • Determine the total distance Ivan runs.
  • Find Ivan's average speed.

Step 1: Calculate the circumference of the circular park.
The formula for the circumference of a circle is C=2πr C = 2\pi r , where r r is the radius.
Given r=300 r = 300 meters, C=2π×300=600π C = 2\pi \times 300 = 600\pi meters.

Step 2: Determine the total distance Ivan runs.
Ivan completes 5 laps, so the total distance D D is given by:
D=5×600π=3000π D = 5 \times 600\pi = 3000\pi meters.

Step 3: Find Ivan's average speed.
The formula for average speed is v=total distancetotal time v = \frac{\text{total distance}}{\text{total time}} .
Total time = 35 minutes.
Average speed v=3000π35269.14 v = \frac{3000\pi}{35} \approx 269.14 meters per minute.

Therefore, Ivan's average speed is 269.14 269.14 meters per minute.

3

Final Answer

269.14 meter per minute

Key Points to Remember

Essential concepts to master this topic
  • Circumference: Use C=2πr C = 2\pi r to find distance per lap
  • Total Distance: Multiply circumference by laps: 5×600π=3000π 5 \times 600\pi = 3000\pi meters
  • Check Speed: Verify by dividing: 3000π35269.14 \frac{3000\pi}{35} \approx 269.14 m/min ✓

Common Mistakes

Avoid these frequent errors
  • Using diameter instead of circumference for distance
    Don't use just the diameter (600m) for each lap = wrong total distance! This gives 3000m instead of 9424m, making speed too small. Always calculate circumference C=2πr C = 2\pi r first.

Practice Quiz

Test your knowledge with interactive questions

\( r=2 \)

Calculate the circumference.

222

FAQ

Everything you need to know about this question

Why do I need to use π (pi) in this problem?

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Because Ivan runs around a circular track! The distance around any circle is its circumference, which always involves π. Without π, you're missing the curved nature of the path.

Should I leave π in my answer or use 3.14?

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For most problems, calculate the decimal value using π ≈ 3.14159. This gives you the practical answer: 269.14 meters per minute instead of 3000π35 \frac{3000\pi}{35} .

What's the difference between speed and velocity here?

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Speed is just how fast Ivan moves (269.14 m/min). Velocity would also include direction, but since he's going in circles, his overall velocity is actually zero!

How do I remember the circumference formula?

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Think: "2 times π times radius" or C=2πr C = 2\pi r . Remember that diameter = 2r, so you can also write C=πd C = \pi d .

Can I solve this problem using different units?

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Yes! You could convert to meters per second by dividing by 60, or kilometers per hour by multiplying by 0.06. Just make sure your distance and time units match.

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