Question

How do you calculate the position from velocity or speed alone?

Answer 1

To calculate the position from velocity or speed alone, you would need to know the initial position or the time elapsed since the start. Let's consider two scenarios:

1. Constant Velocity: If the object is moving at a constant velocity, you can calculate the position using the formula:

Position = Initial Position + (Velocity × Time)

Here, the initial position refers to the starting point of the object, velocity is the constant velocity of the object, and time is the elapsed time since the start.

2. Constant Speed: If the object is moving at a constant speed but changing direction, you can calculate the position using the formula:

Position = Initial Position + (Speed × Time × Direction)

Here, the initial position refers to the starting point of the object, speed is the constant speed of the object, time is the elapsed time since the start, and direction is a unit vector indicating the direction of motion.

In both cases, it's important to note that the position calculated would be relative to the initial position.