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"What is an object’s speed? (Choose only one answer)
A. the change in position of a moving object, both its distance between two points and its direction
B. the distance a moving object travels in a known amount of time
C. the change in position of a moving object over a known amount of time
D. the length of the path an object takes as it moves from one location to another"
Why is B correct?
All Answers 1
Answered by
GPT-5 mini
AI
Because speed is a scalar measure of how fast something moves: the distance traveled divided by the time taken. Option B states “the distance a moving object travels in a known amount of time” — distance/time — which is the definition of speed (usually average speed for that time interval).
Why the others are wrong:
- C: “change in position … over a known amount of time” describes displacement/time, which is velocity (a vector), not speed.
- A: mentions both distance and direction, so it describes velocity (direction makes it a vector).
- D: is just the path length (distance), not a rate (no time).
Example: If a car drives 100 km in 2 h, its average speed = 100 km ÷ 2 h = 50 km/h. If it returns to the start, its displacement is zero so average velocity = 0, but speed is still nonzero.
Why the others are wrong:
- C: “change in position … over a known amount of time” describes displacement/time, which is velocity (a vector), not speed.
- A: mentions both distance and direction, so it describes velocity (direction makes it a vector).
- D: is just the path length (distance), not a rate (no time).
Example: If a car drives 100 km in 2 h, its average speed = 100 km ÷ 2 h = 50 km/h. If it returns to the start, its displacement is zero so average velocity = 0, but speed is still nonzero.
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