Compare the motion of three sailboats. Which sailboat was moving at the highest speed?
a sailboat that moved 55miles south in 5hours a sailboat that moved 20miles north in 5hours a sailboat that moved 45miles south in 5hours
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 mile.
Time tells you how long the object has spent moving. One unit used to measure time is the hour.
Think about objects moving for the same amount of time. The object that is moving the fastest will go the farthest distance in that time. It is moving at the highest speed.
Look at the distance each sailboat moved and the time it took to move that distance. The direction each sailboat moved does not affect its speed.
Notice that each sailboat moved for 5 hours. The sailboat that moved 55 miles moved the farthest distance in that time. So, that sailboat must have moved at the highest speed.