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Physics Practice: Identify the Correct Definition of Speed
Physics
Grade 7 (Junior High School)
Question Content
Which description correctly completes this sentence? Speed is ____________.
Correct Answer
the distance traveled divided by the time it takes to travel that distance
Detailed Solution Steps
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Step 1: Recall the definition of speed in physics: Speed is a scalar quantity that measures how fast an object moves, calculated as the ratio of total distance covered to the total time taken.
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Step 2: Analyze each option: - "time traveled times distance traveled" is an incorrect calculation, as multiplying time and distance does not yield speed. - "time traveled divided by distance traveled" is the formula for reciprocal speed, not speed itself. - "the number of hours it takes to travel a certain distance" describes travel time, not speed. - "the distance traveled divided by the time it takes to travel that distance" matches the standard definition of speed.
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Step 3: Select the option that aligns with the official definition of speed.
Knowledge Points Involved
1
Definition of Speed
Speed is a scalar physical quantity that quantifies the rate of motion of an object, defined mathematically as \(v = \frac{d}{t}\), where \(v\) is speed, \(d\) is the total distance traveled, and \(t\) is the total time elapsed. It only describes how fast an object moves, not its direction of motion.
2
Scalar vs Vector Quantities
Scalar quantities are measurements that only have magnitude (size), like speed, time, and distance. Vector quantities have both magnitude and direction, such as velocity (which includes the direction of motion alongside speed). This problem focuses on speed, a scalar quantity.
3
Basic Kinematic Calculations
In kinematics (the study of motion), core calculations involve relationships between distance, time, speed, and velocity. The speed formula is foundational for solving problems about object motion, and it can be rearranged to solve for distance (\(d = v \times t\)) or time (\(t = \frac{d}{v}\)).
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