How is speed calculated?

Speed is calculated using the formula that relates distance and time, which states that speed is equal to the distance traveled divided by the time taken to travel that distance. This fundamental relationship can be expressed as:

[ \text{Speed} = \frac{\text{Distance}}{\text{Time}} ]

This means that for any given situation where you know how far something has traveled and how long it took, you can find the speed by simply dividing the distance by the time. This concept is essential in various real-life applications, such as determining how fast a vehicle is moving or how quickly a runner completes a race.

The other choices do not correctly define speed: multiplying time by distance does not yield a measurement of speed, adding distance and time does not provide meaningful information about movement, and dividing distance by area introduces unrelated concepts that are not used to calculate speed. Understanding this relationship is vital for solving problems involving motion in physics and daily life.