Speed
- The speed of an object is the distance it travels every second
- Speed is a scalar quantity
- This is because it only contains a magnitude (without a direction)
- The average speed of an object is given by the equation:
- Distance is measured in metres, m
- Time is measured in seconds, s
- Speed is therefore measured in metres per second, m/s
A hiker might have an average speed of 2.0 m/s, whereas a particularly excited bumble bee can have average speeds of up to 4.5 m/s
Examiner Tip
Remember that average speed is the mean speed of the moving object.Its speed at a specific moment could be higher or lower - so because the speed changes you need to consider the total distance and time taken.