Compare the motion of three ducks. Which duck was moving at the highest speed?
a duck that moved 565kilometers west in 10hours a duck that moved 975kilometers south in 10hours a duck that moved 860kilometers east in 10hours
An object's speed tells you how fast the object is moving. Speed depends on both distance and time.
Distance tells you how far the object has moved. One unit used to measure distance is the kilometer.
Time tells you how long the object has spent moving. One unit used to measure time is the hour.
Think about objects moving for the same amount of time. The object that is moving the fastest will go the farthest distance in that time. It is moving at the highest speed.
Look at the distance each duck moved and the time it took to move that distance. The direction each duck moved does not affect its speed.
Notice that each duck moved for 10 hours. The duck that moved 975 kilometers moved the farthest distance in that time. So, that duck must have moved at the highest speed.