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Speed
Speed does not involve direction. Speed is a scalar quantity.
The speed of a moving object is rarely constant. When people walk, run or travel in a car their speed is constantly changing.
The speed at which a person can walk, run or cycle depends on many factors including:
- age
- terrain
- fitness
- distance travelled.
Typical values may be taken as:
walking ̴ 1.5 m/s
running ̴ 3 m/s
cycling ̴ 6 m/s.
It is not only moving objects that have varying speed. The speed of sound and the speed of the wind also vary.
A typical value for the speed of sound in air is 330 m/s.
Distance Travelled = Speed x Time
distance, s, in metres, m
speed, v, in metres per second, m/s
time, t, in seconds, s
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