For example, you might know that Henry drove his car for 48,000 meters. So, your formula will look like this: speed=48,000time{\displaystyle {\text{speed}}={\frac {48,000}{\text{time}}}}.
For example, you might know that Henry began driving at 6:00p. m. He drove 48,000 meters, and arrived at his destination at 6:30 p. m. The difference between 6:00p. m. and 6:30p. m. is 30 minutes. To find the number of seconds, calculate 30×60=1,800{\displaystyle 30\times 60=1,800}. So, Henry traveled for 1,800 seconds. You formula should look like this: speed=48,0001,800{\displaystyle {\text{speed}}={\frac {48,000}{1,800}}}.
For example, speed=48,0001,800=26. 67m/s{\displaystyle {\text{speed}}={\frac {48,000}{1,800}}=26. 67m/s}.
The first endpoint of the line signifies when the person or object started moving. The second endpoint of the line signifies when the person or object stopped moving.
The steeper the line on a distance-time graph, the faster the speed. [6] X Research source A horizontal line indicates that there was no change in distance. This would indicate a speed of 0 meters per second. [7] X Research source
For example, if the line showing the distance and time traveled by Henry begins at (0, 0) and ends at the point (1,800, 48,000), the number of meters traveled is 48,000.
For example, if the line showing the distance and time traveled by Henry ends at the point (1,800, 48,000), the number of seconds traveled is 1,800.
For example, speed=48,0001,800=26. 67m/s{\displaystyle {\text{speed}}={\frac {48,000}{1,800}}=26. 67m/s}.
For example, if Becky drove 50 miles in 1. 25 hours at a constant speed, you would find the speed by calculating speed=50miles1. 25hours=40mph{\displaystyle {\text{speed}}={\frac {50;{\text{miles}}}{1. 25;{\text{hours}}}}=40mph}. As a ratio, you would state the speed as 40miles1hour{\displaystyle {\frac {40;{\text{miles}}}{1;{\text{hour}}}}}.
For example:40miles1hour×1hour60minutes{\displaystyle {\frac {40;{\text{miles}}}{1;{\text{hour}}}}\times {\frac {1;{\text{hour}}}{60;{\text{minutes}}}}}40miles1hour×1hour60minutes{\displaystyle {\frac {40;{\text{miles}}}{1;{\cancel {\text{hour}}}}}\times {\frac {1;{\cancel {\text{hour}}}}{60;{\text{minutes}}}}}40×1miles1×60minutes{\displaystyle {\frac {40\times 1;{\text{miles}}}{1\times 60;{\text{minutes}}}}}40miles60minutes{\displaystyle {\frac {40;{\text{miles}}}{60;{\text{minutes}}}}}
For example:40miles60minutes×1minute60seconds{\displaystyle {\frac {40;{\text{miles}}}{60;{\text{minutes}}}}\times {\frac {1;{\text{minute}}}{60;{\text{seconds}}}}}40miles60minutes×1minute60seconds{\displaystyle {\frac {40;{\text{miles}}}{60;{\cancel {\text{minutes}}}}}\times {\frac {1;{\cancel {\text{minute}}}}{60;{\text{seconds}}}}}40×1miles60×60seconds{\displaystyle {\frac {40\times 1;{\text{miles}}}{60\times 60;{\text{seconds}}}}}40miles3600seconds{\displaystyle {\frac {40;{\text{miles}}}{3600;{\text{seconds}}}}}
For example:40miles3600seconds×5280feet1mile{\displaystyle {\frac {40;{\text{miles}}}{3600;{\text{seconds}}}}\times {\frac {5280;{\text{feet}}}{1;{\text{mile}}}}}40miles3600seconds×5280feet1mile{\displaystyle {\frac {40;{\cancel {\text{miles}}}}{3600;{\text{seconds}}}}\times {\frac {5280;{\text{feet}}}{1;{\cancel {\text{mile}}}}}}40×5280feet3600×1seconds{\displaystyle {\frac {40\times 5280;{\text{feet}}}{3600\times 1;{\text{seconds}}}}}211,200feet3600seconds{\displaystyle {\frac {211,200;{\text{feet}}}{3600;{\text{seconds}}}}}
For example:211,200feet3600seconds×1meter3. 28084feet{\displaystyle {\frac {211,200;{\text{feet}}}{3600;{\text{seconds}}}}\times {\frac {1;{\text{meter}}}{3. 28084;{\text{feet}}}}}211,200feet3600seconds×1meter3. 28084feet{\displaystyle {\frac {211,200;{\cancel {\text{feet}}}}{3600;{\text{seconds}}}}\times {\frac {1;{\text{meter}}}{3. 28084;{\cancel {\text{feet}}}}}}211,200×1meters3600×3. 28084seconds{\displaystyle {\frac {211,200\times 1;{\text{meters}}}{3600\times 3. 28084;{\text{seconds}}}}}211,200meters11,811seconds{\displaystyle {\frac {211,200;{\text{meters}}}{11,811;{\text{seconds}}}}}.
For example, 211,20011,811=17. 88{\displaystyle {\frac {211,200}{11,811}}=17. 88}. So, Becky drove at a rate of 17. 88 meters per second.
