Starting from the front door of your ranch house, you walk 60.0 m due east to your windmill, turn around, and then slowly walk 40.0 m west to a bench, where you sit and watch the sunrise. It takes you 29.0 s to walk from your house to the windmill and then 42.0 s to walk from the windmill to the bench. For related problemsolving tips and strategies, you may want to view a Video Tutor Solution of Average and instantaneous velocities.

Did you know that in physics, the displacement from your starting point is more critical than the total distance traveled? In your case, while you walked a total of 100 meters (60 m to the windmill and 40 m back), your displacement is only 20 m due east. That little nugget highlights how our journey isn't just about how far we go, but where we end up! When calculating average velocity, remember it’s all about direction and time! Your average velocity from your house to the windmill is \( \frac{60.0 \text{ m}}{29.0 \text{ s}} \), giving you a rate of about 2.07 m/s due east. For the next leg to the bench, it’s \( \frac{-40.0 \text{ m}}{42.0 \text{ s}} \), totaling approximately -0.95 m/s due west. Just keep the signs straight, and you’ll avoid common pitfalls!