Question

Explain how this makes sense in consideration of the equation for speed (speed = distance / time) speed cannot be measured in a simpler, more fundamental way, it makes sense to define it as distance divided by time. Loosely speaking, quantities are defined by how we go about measuring them.

Answer 1

Average speed is calculated from the total distance traveled divided by the elapsed time and is considered a scalar quantity. It's essential in physics to understand motion and is defined by measurable quantities of distance and time, as speed itself cannot be measured directly.

Step-by-step explanation:

Average speed is a fundamental concept in physics, defined as the total distance traveled divided by the elapsed time. It's calculated using the equation speed = distance / time.

Measuring speed often involves measuring the two other quantities—distance and time—directly. This is because speed itself may not be straightforward to measure. To calculate the average speed of an object in motion, one must measure the distance between two points and the time it takes to travel from one point to the other.

As observers in different states of motion will measure different times and distances, average speed is considered a scalar quantity, which means it does not have a direction associated with it. In physics, this distinguishes speed from velocity, which is a vector that includes direction. The concept of relative speed is important because it remains consistent across different observers, assuming they employ the same method to measure distance and time.