How fast is that?

In class we are exploring the speed at which objects are moving. Speed is the distance an object goes in a certain amount of time. Usually speed has measurement units such as mph (mi/h), km/h, and m/s. Speed can be used to think about how fast you must go to reach your destination on time, or average speed. So if you were to drive from Pittsburgh to Erie, what average speed would you drive to reach Erie in 3 hours? Speed can also tell how fast an object is moving at that moment, also known as instantaneous speed. This is the type of speed is used by police officers to determine if a car is within the speed limit.

One fast example from class was the speed record for the TGV, ultra-high speed train. Operating in France, the TGV hit 574.8 km/h in the year 2007. How fast is 574.8 km/h?  We've been exploring how to convert units for comparison.

So the train was moving 160 m/s when it hit the record. That’s 160 meter sticks end-to-end being traveled in one second. That is a fast train! Is this record average or instantaneous speed?

This video is available from YouTube.

Updates

Homework: F2 Reading Activity "Motion" Chapter 2 is due tomorrow, 2/24/2011. Need help getting started? Here is the partially setup version of the reading activity.
Extra credit is available and directions can be seen from the class website.