School Improvement in Maryland

Using the State Curriculum: Science, Grade 5

Skills and Processes | Earth/Space | Life | Chemistry | Physics | Environmental
Clarifications: Each clarification provides an explanation of an indicator/objective to help teachers better understand the skills and/or concepts.

Standard 5.0 Physics

Topic A. Mechanics

Indicator 1. Describe the motion of objects using distance traveled, time, direction, and speed.

Objective c. Based on data describe speed as the distance traveled per unit of time.

Clarification

Motion of an object can be described by its position, direction of motion and speed. An object in motion that is not being subjected to another force will continue to move in a straight line. Distance traveled is a measure of the change in position of an object over time. Distance is measured in linear units such as kilometer, meter, and centimeter. Time is measured in hours, minutes and seconds. How fast an object moves over a certain distance is called speed. Speed can be calculated mathematically with the formula, Speed = Distance ÷ Time. For example, a car traveling 60 kilometers in one hour is traveling at a rate of 1 kilometer per minute (Speed = 60 km ÷ 60 min). Fast moving objects go long distances in a short period of time. Slow-moving objects take longer to travel the same distance.

SUMMER TRIPS

Car Trip Distance (km) Time (hrs) Speed (km/h)
#1 50 2 25
#2 90 2 45
#3 150 3 50
#4 225 3 75
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