Final answer:
To estimate the time taken to speed walk 5 meters at an average speed of 2.5 m/s, it would be approximately 2 seconds, and for 10 meters, it would be around 4 seconds. The calculations use division to confirm the reasonableness and are also applicable for determining the time taken for a car to cover a distance, like the width of the car.
Step-by-step explanation:
When discussing average speed, it is purely a scalar quantity which means it exclusively measures magnitude and does not take the direction into account. In the context of speed walking 5 meters, if we presume an average speed of 2.5 meters per second (m/s) similar to a brisk walk, it would take approximately 2 seconds to travel this distance, since 5 meters divided by 2.5 m/s equals 2 seconds.
For the 10 meters distance, assuming the same average speed of 2.5 m/s, it would take 4 seconds to cover this distance (10 meters divided by 2.5 m/s equals 4 seconds). These are rough estimates to check the reasonableness of the calculation, considering that the actual speed can vary slightly while walking.
To calculate the time it takes for a speed to cover a specific distance, such as the width of a car, you would use the speed of the car and divide it by the distance. For example, if a car travels at a speed limit of 8 meters per second and the width of the car is 2 meters, the time taken to cover that distance would be 2 meters divided by 8 m/s, which would be 0.25 seconds.
As an extension, similar calculations can be used to estimate other speeds and convert them into different units such as meters per second (m/s) and miles per hour (mi/h). These conversions are helpful when looking at speeds in different contexts and comparing them, such as in the case of jogging or driving a car.