s8 (b) Calculating Speed
Calculating Speed
A measurement of distance can tell you how far an object travels. A cyclist, for example, might travel 30 kilometers. An ant might travel 2 centimeters. If you know the distance an object travels in a certain amount of time, you can calculate the speed of the object. Speed is a type of rate. A rate tells you the amount of something that occurs or changes in one unit of time. The speed of an object is the distance the object travels per unit of time.
The Speed Equation
To calculate the speed of an object, divide the distance the object travels by the amount of time it takes to travel that distance. This relationship can be written as an equation.
A measurement of distance can tell you how far an object travels. A cyclist, for example, might travel 30 kilometers. An ant might travel 2 centimeters. If you know the distance an object travels in a certain amount of time, you can calculate the speed of the object. Speed is a type of rate. A rate tells you the amount of something that occurs or changes in one unit of time. The speed of an object is the distance the object travels per unit of time.
The Speed Equation
To calculate the speed of an object, divide the distance the object travels by the amount of time it takes to travel that distance. This relationship can be written as an equation.
