Compare the motion of two beluga whales. Which beluga whale was moving at a higher speed?
a beluga whale that moved 10miles in 5hours a beluga whale that moved 15miles 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 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 beluga whale moved and the time it took to move that distance.
One beluga whale moved 15 miles in 5 hours.
The other beluga whale moved 10 miles in 5 hours.
Notice that each beluga whale spent the same amount of time moving. The beluga whale that moved 15 miles moved a farther distance in that time. So, that beluga whale must have moved at a higher speed.