Abaseball is traveling (+20 m/s) and is hit by a bat. it leaves the bat traveling (-30 m/s). what is the change in the velocity? remember that direction is what makes velocity different than speed. a. 50 m/s b. 30 m/s c. 20 m/s d. 10 m/s

The answer is A. 50 m/s

I took the test and completed the study guide in class and got it correct.

A. 50m/s

Explanation

Step 1

The first step is to define velocity.  Velocity is a measure of how fast displacement is changing with time. When discussing the velocity of a object we have to take into account that direction is important.

Step 2

The second step is to calculate the change in velocity.  The object is initially travelling with a velocity of and then hits the bat, changes directions and travels at in a direction opposite to it's initial direction. The change in velocity is calculated as shown below,

The correct answer is