Question

Two vehicles travel along two distinct roads. The first vehicle traveled in the first roadway
with a spot speed equal to “A veh/hr”, while the second vehicle traveled along the second roadway
with a space mean speed equal to “A veh/hr”. If the two vehicles originated at the same position
and will arrive at the same points, who will arrive at the destination first? Elucidate, and
expound your idea based on the fundamental definitions and your logical reasoning.

Answer 1

Spot speed is defined as the instantaneous speed of a vehicle at a specified location.

Thus if we say that spot speed of roadway is A veh/hr. It means that vehicles moving in this roadway will move with spot speed of A units.

This means the speed of that vehicle will not changed during the journey and hence the average speed for that vehicle will be A units.

Space mean speed is defined as the average speed of all the vehicles occupying given section over specified time. Since here we are talking about only one vehicle thus it represents the average speed of that vehicle.

Hence space mean speed of a roadway as A veh/hr says that this vehicle moving in this lane will have the average speed of A units.

Since average speeds of both the vehicles are same they will reach the same destination at same time.