Question

the students record how much time it takes the car to move from the starting point to each of the next four poles. then they measure the distance from the start to each pole. the data table below shows the measurements:

car’s position	time to reach pole (s)	distance from start (m)
pole 1	2.5	40
pole 2	5.0	80
pole 3	7.5	120
pole 4	10.0	160

what is the average speed of the car between the starting pole and pole 4?

\boxed{} \frac{m}{s}

Explanation:

Step1: Recall the formula for average speed

The formula for average speed \( v_{avg} \) is \( v_{avg}=\frac{\text{total distance}}{\text{total time}} \).

Step2: Identify total distance and total time

From the table, the total distance from the starting pole to pole 4 is \( d = 160\space m \) (distance from start to pole 4), and the total time taken is \( t = 10.0\space s \) (time to reach pole 4 from starting pole).

Step3: Calculate average speed

Substitute the values into the formula: \( v_{avg}=\frac{160\space m}{10.0\space s} = 16\space \frac{m}{s} \).

Answer:

\( 16 \)