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[Phys-L] f'(t) / g'(t) question



Hi.
I haven't really used my calculus for quite some time. I was asked by a
math department colleague the following:
if x=f(t) and y = g(t) then dx/dt = f'(t) and dy/dt = g'(t) would be
velocity vectors.
so far so good.

The question:
is g'(t) / f'(t) a velocity value? can it be used to determine
instantaneous velocity values?

My knee-jerk response is that it is not a velocity value. However, i don't
know if there is a way to use this to find the instantaneous velocity. I am
pretty-much brain-locked into x' ^2 + y'^2 = v^2 when dealing with just
kinematics.

Is there a useful or common thing that is appropriate here?

Thanks for your time.

Paul Lulai
Physics Teacher
St Anthony Village Senior High
St Anthony Village MN 55418