Compare the motion of two humpback whales. Which humpback whale was moving at a higher speed?
a humpback whale that moved 55kilometers in 10hours a humpback whale that moved 85kilometers in 10hours
An object's speed tells you how fast the object is moving. Speed depends on both distance and time.
Distance tells you how far the object has moved. One unit used to measure distance is the kilometer.
Time tells you how long the object has spent moving. One unit used to measure time is the hour.
Think about two objects moving for the same amount of time. The object that is moving faster will go a farther distance in that time. It is moving at a higher speed.
Look at the distance each humpback whale moved and the time it took to move that distance.
One humpback whale moved 85 kilometers in 10 hours.
The other humpback whale moved 55 kilometers in 10 hours.
Notice that each humpback whale spent the same amount of time moving. The humpback whale that moved 85 kilometers moved a farther distance in that time. So, that humpback whale must have moved at a higher speed.