Final answer:
The distance an object travels in a certain amount of time is known as speed, which is calculated as distance divided by time.
Step-by-step explanation:
The distance an object travels in some amount of time is called speed. Speed is defined as the rate at which an object changes its location over time. It is calculated by dividing the distance covered by the time taken (Δt), which is the difference between the ending time and the beginning time of the object's motion. The formula for speed (v) is v = D/Δt, where D is the distance traveled.
It's important to note that distance is a scalar quantity, meaning it has magnitude but no direction, and represents the length of the path actually traveled between an initial and a final position. On the other hand, displacement is the net change in position of an object and is a vector quantity. Average speed, often used to describe an object's motion, is the total distance traveled divided by the total time during which the motion occurs.