Motion: Measuring Speed
Calculate the speed of a body by measuring the distance it travels and the time it takes. Use the sliders to simulate the measured values and instantly see the results.
Key Concepts & Instructions
▼- Experiment 1: Use the sliders to set the total distance traveled (in meters) and the time taken (in seconds).
- Calculate: The Average Speed in $\text{m/s}$ is instantly calculated and displayed.
- Experiment 2: Click the button to see the conversion of the calculated speed to the commonly used unit $\text{km/h}$.
- Use the reset button to start over with new measurements.
Speed is defined as the distance traveled per unit of time: $$ \text{Speed} = \frac{\text{Distance}}{\text{Time}} $$
Experiment 1: Calculating Average Speed (m/s)
Simulate measuring the movement of an object over a straight path.
Experiment 2: Speed Unit Conversion
Convert the current average speed from the SI unit ($\text{m/s}$) to the practical unit ($\text{km/h}$).
The **SI (International System) unit** for distance is the meter ($\text{m}$) and for time is the second ($\text{s}$). Therefore, the **standard SI unit of speed** is **meters per second ($\text{m/s}$)**. This unit is fundamental in physics calculations.
Motion and Distance-Time Graphs
- **Uniform Motion:** An object covers equal distances in equal intervals of time. The speed is constant. A distance-time graph is a straight line.
- **Non-Uniform Motion:** An object covers unequal distances in equal intervals of time. The speed is variable. The distance-time graph is a curve.
In most real-world scenarios, motion is non-uniform. The speed we calculate using the formula is the **Average Speed**, which represents the total distance divided by the total time taken for the entire journey.
To convert speed from $\text{m/s}$ to $\text{km/h}$, you multiply by a factor of 3.6: $$(1 \text{ m/s} = \frac{1/1000 \text{ km}}{1/3600 \text{ h}} = \frac{3600}{1000} \text{ km/h} = 3.6 \text{ km/h})$$
