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Re: Magnitude of average velocity



1) Why is the average of the
magnitude of a vector not the same as the magnitude of the average?

Answer with a simple counter example:
Take the two vectors A and -A (two vectors of equal magnitude and
antiparallel in direction).
The average of their magnitudes is |A|. The magnitude of their average is
zero.

Bob Sciamanda
Physics, Edinboro Univ of PA (em)
trebor@velocity.net
http://www.velocity.net/~trebor