Speed is determined by dividing the distance traveled by the time taken to cover that distance.

The formula used to calculate speed is:

$\text{Speed} = \frac{\text{Distance}}{\text{Time}}$

In practical terms, this means that you take the total distance an object has traveled and divide it by the total time taken to travel that distance. For instance, if a car travels $100$ kilometers in $2$ hours, the speed can be calculated by dividing $100$ by $2$, resulting in a speed of $50$ kilometers per hour (km/h).

In mathematical notation, if you know the distance $d$ and the time $t$, you can find the speed $s$ using the equation:

$s = \frac{d}{t}$

It is crucial to ensure that the units of distance and time are compatible when performing these calculations. Common units for speed include meters per second (m/s) and kilometers per hour (km/h). If the distance is measured in meters and the time in seconds, the resulting speed will be in meters per second. Conversely, if the distance is in kilometers and the time in hours, the speed will be expressed in kilometers per hour.

For example, if a cyclist travels $30$ kilometers in $1.5$ hours, the speed can be calculated as follows:

$s = \frac{30 \text{ km}}{1.5 \text{ hours}} = 20 \text{ km/h}$

Understanding how to calculate speed is essential in various real-life contexts, such as planning travel times or analyzing the performance of athletes.