The total distance travelled by the particle is equal to the sum of the magnitudes of the areas under the velocity-time graph.
Area of the first triangle (from t=0 to t=20 s) is:
A1=21×20×5=50 m
Magnitude of the area of the second triangle (from t=20 to t=40 s) is:
∣A2∣=21×20×(−5)=50 m
Total distance =A1+∣A2∣=50+50=100 m
The total displacement is the algebraic sum of the areas under the velocity-time graph.
Total displacement =A1+A2=50−50=0 m
Average velocity is the ratio of total displacement to total time.
Average velocity =Total timeTotal displacement=400=0
Answer: 100 m and zero
