Average Speed and Instantaneous Speed

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NEO Wed, Feb 02, 2022 12:15 PM UTC

This pdf explains how to calculate the average by dividing the total distance traveled by the total time. The average speed of an object is the total distance traveled by the object divided by the elapsed time to cover that distance. It's a scalar quantity which means it is defined only by magnitude.

1. TEKS 6.8C: Calculate average speed using distance and time measurements.
How Do You Calculate
Average Speed?
• 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 is a measurement 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.
Speed = Distance/Time
Identify What
Whatmeasurement
measurementofofan
anobject’s
object’sspeed
speedchanges
changesininone
oneunit
unitofof
time? (contd.)

2. TEKS 6.8C: Calculate average speed using distance and time measurements.
How Do You Calculate
Average Speed?
• To calculate average speed, divide the total distance traveled
by the total time.
• For example, suppose a cyclist travels 32 kilometers during the
first 2 hours. Then, the cyclist travels 13 kilometers during the
next hour. The average speed of the cyclist is the total distance
divided by the total time.
• Total distance = 32 km + 13 km = 45 km
• Total time= 2 h + 1 h = 3 h
• Average speed = 45 km/3 h = 15 km/h
Calculate What
Whatwould
wouldthe
thecyclist’s
cyclist’saverage
averagespeed
speedbe
beififhe
heororshe
sherode
rode60
60kilometers
kilometersinin
hours?11

3. TEKS 6.8C: Calculate average speed using distance and time measurements.
What Is Instantaneous Speed?
• Instantaneous speed is the rate at which an object is moving
at a given instant in time.
• A cyclometer can calculate both average and instantaneous
speed.
Compareand
andContrast
Contrast Explain
Explainwhy
whythe
theinstantaneous
instantaneousspeed
speedand
andthe
the
averagespeed
speedshown
shownare
aredifferent.
different.

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