Speed Calculator

What would you like to calculate?

Distance:

Time:

About Speed, Distance, and Time

Speed is the rate at which an object covers distance. The relationship between speed, distance, and time is fundamental in physics and is expressed through the following equations:

v = d/t

Where:

v is speed (units of distance per time)
d is distance (units of length)
t is time (units of time)

From this basic relationship, we can derive:

Distance: d = v × t
Time: t = d ÷ v

+ Learn More About Speed

Instantaneous vs. Average Speed

There are two main types of speed:

Average Speed: The total distance traveled divided by the total time taken. This is what our calculator computes.
Instantaneous Speed: The speed at a specific moment in time, which may differ from the average speed.

Speed vs. Velocity

Speed is a scalar quantity that refers only to the magnitude of how fast an object is moving. Velocity, on the other hand, is a vector quantity that includes both speed and direction.

Common Units

Speed can be expressed in various units:

Meters per second (m/s): The SI unit of speed
Kilometers per hour (km/h): Common for vehicles and transportation
Miles per hour (mph): Used in the US and some other countries
Knots (kn): Used in maritime and aviation, equal to one nautical mile per hour
Feet per second (ft/s): Used in various engineering applications

Physics Applications

The speed equation is fundamental to many areas of physics, including:

Kinematics: The study of motion
Dynamics: The study of forces and motion
Wave propagation: The speed at which waves travel
Relativity: Where the speed of light is a fundamental constant

Speed Calculator