Speed
Learning Objectives
- Students will be able to calculate average speed from distance and time
- Students will understand that speed is a scalar quantity
- Students will distinguish between average and instantaneous speed
Core Concepts
- Speed: distance traveled per unit time
- Average speed: total distance / total time
- Instantaneous speed: speed at a specific moment
Formulas
$$v_{avg} = \frac{d}{t}$$
Total distance divided by total time elapsed
Units
| meter per second | m/s |
| kilometer per hour | km/h |
Interesting Fact
The speed of light (3 × 10⁸ m/s) is the fastest anything can travel
Key Scientist
Galileo Galilei
First systematic studies of speed and motion
Ancient Wisdom
Buddhist teachings on impermanence (anicca) align with physics' view that nothing truly rests; all entities possess speed relative to some reference frame.
Want to truly master this? Try the interactive lesson!
Start Lesson