Speed
Presentation
•
Science
•
6th - 8th Grade
•
Medium
Standards-aligned
Barbara White
Used 17+ times
FREE Resource
8 Slides • 8 Questions
1
Middle School
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3
Key Vocabulary
Speed
The rate an object moves, measuring distance traveled over a specific amount of time.
Average Speed
The total distance an object travels divided by the total time it takes to travel that distance.
Instantaneous Speed
The exact speed of a moving object at a particular moment in time, which can change frequently.
Distance
The total length of the path traveled between a starting and ending position for an object.
4
What is Speed?
Speed is the measure of how fast or slow an object is moving.
It is the distance an object travels in a specific amount of time.
A fast softball can have a speed of 120 kilometers per hour (km/h).
The standard unit for speed is meters per second (m/s).
5
Multiple Choice
What is the primary definition of speed in physics?
The distance traveled in a given amount of time.
The direction of an object's motion.
How much an object has accelerated.
The location of an object at a specific time.
6
Average Speed
This is the overall speed of an object over the entire duration of a trip.
It is calculated by dividing the total distance traveled by the total time it took.
It provides a single value that represents the entire journey, evening out speed variations.
Instantaneous Speed
This is the speed of an object at a single, specific moment in time.
When you look at a car's speedometer, you are seeing your instantaneous speed.
This measurement can change from one moment to the next due to various factors.
7
Multiple Choice
A car's speedometer shows that it is traveling at 65 miles per hour. What does this reading represent?
The car's instantaneous speed.
The car's average speed for the trip.
The total distance the car has traveled.
The time remaining for the trip.
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The Speed Formula Triangle
Finding Speed
Finding Distance
Finding Time
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Multiple Choice
To figure out how far a car will travel at an average speed of 60 km/h for 5 hours, which formula should you use?
Distance = Speed × Time
Speed = Distance / Time
Time = Distance / Speed
Distance = Time / Speed
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Misconception | Correction |
|---|---|
Average speed is the average of your different speeds. | Average speed is the total distance divided by the total time. |
Stopping for a break doesn't affect your average speed. | Stopping increases total time, which lowers your average speed. |
Speed and velocity are the exact same thing. | Speed is how fast you go; velocity includes direction. |
11
Multiple Choice
A bus travels 20 km in 30 minutes. What is the average speed of the bus in kilometers per hour?
40 km/h
20 km/h
30 km/h
60 km/h
12
Multiple Choice
If a truck is traveling at an average speed of 50 mph on a long trip, why might its instantaneous speed be 0 mph at some point?
Because the truck may have stopped for a traffic light or a break.
Because the truck's engine ran out of fuel.
Because average speed and instantaneous speed are always equal.
Because the total distance traveled was zero.
13
Multiple Choice
Terri rode her bike a total round-trip distance of 6 km. The entire trip took her 15 minutes (0.25 hours). What was her average speed for the whole journey?
24 km/h
12 km/h
6 km/h
0.4 km/h
14
Multiple Choice
A train travels for 2 hours at 80 km/h and then for 3 hours at 60 km/h. What is the train's average speed for the entire 5-hour journey?
68 km/h
70 km/h
72 km/h
75 km/h
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16
Poll
On a scale of 1-4, how confident are you about calculating speed, distance, and time?
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Middle School
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