A mouse runs along a baseboard in your house. The mouse's position as a function of time is given by x (t) = pt 2+qt, with p = 0.36 m/s2and q = - 1.10 m/s. Determine the mouse's average speed between t = 1.0 s and t = 4.0 s. I have tried everything and the answer is not 0.40 m/s

Answer: the average speed of the rat from the information given above is 0.7m/s

Explanation:

position is given as

x (t) = pt² + qt

finding the diffencial of x (t) with respect to t, we have

d (x (t)) / dt = 2pt + q

we substitute the p = 0.36m/s² and q = - 1.10 m/s

d (x (t)) / dt = 2 (0.36) t + (-1.10)

so, at t = 1s

d (x (t)) / dt = 2 * (0.36) * 1 - 1.1 = 0.72 - 1.1 = - 0.38m/s

at t = 4s

d (x (t)) / dt = 2 * (0.36) * 4 - 1.10 = 2.88 - 1.10 = 1.78 m/s

To find the average speed,

average speed = (V1 + V2) / 2

average speed = (1.78 + (-0.38)) / 2 = 0.7m/s