Average Speed
Definition
Average speed is defined as total distance traveled divided by total time taken. It does not take into account changes in speed or direction over time.
Analogy
Imagine you're on a road trip from New York to Los Angeles (approximately 2800 miles). If it takes you 44 hours to complete this journey, your average speed would be 2800 miles divided by 44 hours, which equals about 64 mph. This doesn't mean you were always driving at exactly 64 mph - sometimes you might have been going faster on open highways, slower through cities - but overall, this was your average pace for the entire trip.
Related terms
Velocity: Velocity measures both speed and direction of an object's movement.
Acceleration: Acceleration refers to any change in velocity (speed or direction) over time.
Displacement: Displacement measures straight-line distance between starting point and ending point regardless of path taken.
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