Have you noticed how in car shows they always talk about the time a car takes to reach from zero to? They also talk about something called top speed. So, what does it mean when a vehicle is traveling at? Can we relate this term with the distance it can cover in a given amount of time? Well, the short answer is yes. In the following article, we will go through the definitions of speed, distance, time and the relation between the three. We will also look at how we can use a triangle to represent the relationship between the three. Finally, we will use a few examples to calculate the speed of different objects.
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Team Time Speed and Distance Teachers
Before we get into the relationship between distance, speed, and time we need to understand what each of these terms means in physics. First, we look at the definition of distance. With it being one of the most commonly used words in the dictionary, most people should know what distance means.
Distance is a measure of the ground covered by an object. The SI unit of distance is the meter ().
Distance is a scalar quantity. When we talk about the distance covered by an object we are not talking about the direction that the object is traveling. Quantities that have both a magnitude and a direction are called vector quantities.
What about time? How can physics complicate the definition of something as simple as time? Well, as simple as it is it has been one of the most interesting areas of research for scientists like Albert Einstein.
Time is defined as the progression of an event from the past to the present and a future. The SI unit for time is the second.
Finally, now that we know the definition of distance and time in the context of physics, we can look into how it is used to define one of the most important quantities in the realm of physics, Speed.
Speed refers to the distance travelled by an object in a given time frame.
The SI unit of speed in meters/seconds (). In the imperial system, we use miles per hour to measure speed. For example, when we say an object is moving atwhat we mean is that this object will cover a distance ofif it continues to move at this rate for the next. Similarly, we can define a speed ofas the rate at which an object moves when it coversin.
Let's look at the relationship between distance time and speed. If an object is moving at a uniform speed in a straight line then its speed is given by the following equation:
This simple formula can be rearranged in two ways to calculate time and distance. This is depicted using a speed triangle. The triangle will help you remember the three formulae including the equation above.
Or in symbols:
Whereis the distance travelled,is the speed andis the time taken to travel the distance.
The above relations can be shown using something called a speed triangle as shown below. This is an easy way to remember the formula. Divide the triangle into three and put the distance D on the top, the speed S in the left box, and the time T in the right box. This triangle will help us remember the different formulas that can be derived from the triangle.
The Speed, distance and time triangle can be used to calculate one of these three variables, StudySmarter
Let's look at how we can use the distance speed and time triangle to obtain formulae for each of the variables.
Sandy runsevery Sunday. She runs this in. Work out her speed in, if she can maintain the same speed throughout the run.
Unit conversion
Speed triangle for calculating speed, Nidhish-StudySmarter
Now, take the speed triangle and cover the term that you need to calculate. In this case it is speed. if you cover up the speed then the formula will look as follows
Imagine if Sandy from the above example ranmaintaining a speed of. How long would it take for her to complete this distance in hours?
Speed triangle for calculating time, StudySmarter
Unit conversion
Cover the box with time in it. You're now left with the formula distance over speed as follows
Converting seconds to minutes
From the above examples, we know that Sandy likes to run. How much distance could she cover if she ran all out with a speed offor?
Speed triangle for calculating distance, Nidhish-StudySmarter
Using the speed triangle cover the box that holds the distance. We're now left with the product of speed and time.
Sandy will be able to cover a distance ofin! Do you think you can outrun her?
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What is the meaning of time distance and speed?
Time is defined as the progression of an event from the past to the present and from the present to the future. Its SI unit is seconds, Distance is a measure of the ground covered by an object when it moves without any regard to the direction of motion, Its SI unit meters and speed refers to the distance travelled by an object in a given time frame.
How are time distance and speed calculated?
Time distance and speed can be calculated using the following formulae
Time = Distance ÷ Speed, Speed= Distance ÷ Time and Distance = Speed × Time
What are the formulas for calculating time distance and speed?
Time distance and speed can be calculated using the following formulae
Time = Distance ÷ Speed, Speed= Distance ÷ Time and Distance = Speed × Time
What are the time, speed, and distance triangles?
The relations between time, speed, and distance can be shown using something called a speed triangle. This is an easy way to remember the 3 formulae. Divide the triangle into three and put the distance D on the top, the speed S in the left box, and the time T in the right box.
How does distance and time affect speed?
The larger the distance travelled by a moving object over a given time interval, the faster the moving object. The longer the time it takes for an object to travel a certain distance, the slower the object is moving and so the lower its speed.
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