Speed and

Velocity
• Speed is a measure
of how fast something
is moving.
• It is the rate at which
a distance is covered. eFootage Play Clip.mov
Distance, Speed
and Time Speed = distance (in metres)
time (in seconds)
EQUATIO
N
v = speed
d d = distance
v = t = time
t
If it takes you one hour to move the 10m
from the couch and your wii remote to your
PC to complete the physical science Unit on
motion, what is your speed? (see next slide)
 ANSWER
d d=1m

v = t = 1 hr

t
1m
v = V = 1m/hr
1hr
AN EASY SHORTCUT METHOD FOR SOLVING
EQUATIONS

d d
v =
t v t

In a three variable equation like this one, move the

variable in the numerator to the top of the triangle.
The remaining two variable go below. Now you
need only to look at the triangle to solve for the
variable. If I want to solve for distance then it is v
x t (note: they are side by side). If I want to solve
for speed (v) then it is d/t (note: d is over t in the
triangle. Get it?
 Practice solving speed
equations
• Dave walks 200 metres in 40 seconds. What is his
speed?
• Laura covers 2km in 1,000 seconds. What is her
speed?
• How long would it take to run 100 metres if you run at
10m/s?
• Steve travels at 50m/s for 20s. How far does he go?
• Susan drives her car at 85mph (about 40m/s). How long
does it take her to drive 20km?
 Race Car Simulator
http://lgfl.skoool.co.uk/content/keystage3/Physics/p
c/learningSimulations/MESSC/launch.html

Read the directions in the box. Press

Begin to start the simulation
 AVERAGE SPEED VS.
INSTANTANEOUS SPEED
Using your equation v = d/t gives you
average speed.
– speed is distance covered over a certain time
– typical units for measuring speed are m/s,
km/h, mi/h (mph)

Your speed at any given instant is

instantaneous speed.

Your speedometer gives

you instantaneous speed.
Why does instantaneous speed
matter?
Ask the
policeman who
stops you or a
friend for
speeding in the
school zone.
Your average
speed may have
been 25 mph, but
the radar gun
Velocity is a vector quantity
which means it includes both a
magnitude and a direction. It
is a rate of motion in a specific
direction.

“I'm going that-a-way at 30 kilometers

per hour. My velocity is 30 kilometers per
hour that-a-way…or… I am going 30 km/h
east. “
 Which of the following
represent a velocity and which
speed?
• 5m/s 1.Speed
• 60 km/h
2. speed
• 3 m/s, northeast
• 3.Velocit
2 km/hr at 30o north of
y
east
• Mach 2 4.Velocit
• 35 km/h south y
5.Speed
6.velocit
 Velocity Δd
equation v =
Same as speed but … Δt
Δd = change in position
(displacement)
Δt = change in time
Velocity is a VECTOR!! A change
in position means direction is
 Speed vs. Velocity
Speed is simply how fast you are travelling…

This car is travelling at a

speed of 20m/s

Velocity is “speed in a given direction”…

This car is travelling at a

velocity of 20m/s east
 4) Diagonal line
Distance-time graphs downwards =

2) Horizontal line = Return to original

40
40 position
stopped
30
30
Distance
Distance
(metres) 20
(metres) 20

10
10 Time/s

Time/s
0
0
20 40 60 80 100

1) Diagonal line = 3) Steeper diagonal line = going

constant faster, but at a constant
velocity velocity
 DISTANCE/TIME GRAPHS
A car takes 1.5 minutes to travel 500m down a busy road. It stops
at lights for 30 seconds, then continues on for 1 minute as it goes
another 1km.
1.5
Plot this on a distance/time graph.
Δd = Steepest
Distance
Using the distance/time 1 1km section is
graph: (km) fastest

2.What is the total distance 0.5

traveled? = 1.5 km Δt =
1min
2. In what part of the trip is
= part 3
the car going the fastest? 1 2 3
Time (min)
3. What is the fastest v = Δd / Δt
speed? In a distance/time graph
v = 1km/1min
the slope of the line =
v = 1000m/60s the speed of the object.
v = 16
 SPEED QUESTIONS
What would these look like on a distance/time graph?
1. stopped

2. slow

3. fast

4. accelerating
 40

30
Distance
(metres)
20

10
Time/s
0
20 40 60 80 100
20 40 60 80 100
1) What is the speed during the first 20 seconds?
2) How far is the object from the start after 60 seconds?
3) What is the speed during the last 40 seconds?
4) When was the object travelling the fastest?
READING MORE
GRAPHS