Unit 2: Force, Motion, and Energy
Lesson: Calculating Speed
Learning Target
●
Warm-Up
Consider: What role do you think motion and distance plays in calculating speed?
An object is in when its distance from another object is
1. _____ reference point A. how far an object moves from its
original position
2. _____ position B. a place or object used for
comparison to determine if
something is in motion
3. _____ distance C. the location of an object relative
to another object
List some examples of objects that are in motion:
When objects change their , they travel a
Summarize the scenario where you go to the grocery store for eggs. Make notes and
draw pictures to help you.
Determine the total distance you traveled?
Jerome leaves on a bike ride. He travels 3 km one way. He turns around and rides 2
km back toward his original location.
Determine how far has Jerome traveled.
2
Instruction
Consider: What are the units of measurement that are used when calculating speed?
Where have you heard or seen these units before?
An object has .
describes the rate of movement, or how
something moves.
What is the formula for speed?
At one point in the Bike Trip described in the passage, you traveled 1 kilometer in 0.1
hours. What was your speed during that time period?
Consider the following set of data for a truck.
Knowing that the distances the truck traveled during each segment were 30, 45, 50,
and 65 respectively, what was the total distance traveled by the truck?
Knowing that the time it took for the truck to travel each distance was 1, 2, 1 , 2 hours
respectively, what was the total time it took the truck to complete its trip?
What was the average speed of the truck for this trip?
3
Up to now, we've looked at the equation for speed to determine how to calculate the
speed of an object. However, that equation can be manipulated to solve for the other
variables that make up speed - and .
Practice:
Distance = Speed x Time
A pigeon flies for 7 hours at a speed of 70 km/h. How far does the pigeon fly during
that time period?
Distance
Time = Speed
Andrew can row at a speed of 2 meters/second. How long does it take him to row 800
meters?
4
Summary
Consider: What is the misconception about speed in the video? List some of the
factors that the girl believes affects speed.
The girl has a hard time determining how long it would take her to travel 80 miles if
the car was traveling at 80 miles per hour. Help correct the girl's calculations with your
own knowledge of how to determine the speed, distance, and time of any given object
using the speed equation.
Provide answers to the following questions:
● What is the correct way to determine the time it would take to travel 80
miles at 80 miles per hour?
● What were some errors in the way she calculated the time?
5
Assignment
As you complete the assignment, make a note of the questions that you feel confident
about and those that feel challenging for you.
When you finish the assignment, use the scale below to rate yourself on the Learning
Target for this lesson:
● I can calculate average speed using distance and time measurements.
