To calculate the speed of an object when you know its initial position and final position, you need to determine the displacement (change in position) and divide it by the time taken to cover that displacement. Speed is defined as the distance traveled per unit of time. Here's the formula to calculate speed:
Speed = Displacement / Time
To calculate the displacement, subtract the initial position from the final position:
Displacement = Final Position - Initial Position
Once you have the displacement, you need to know the time taken to cover that displacement. If you have the time, you can simply plug the values into the formula mentioned above to calculate the speed.
For example, let's say an object starts at an initial position of 10 meters and moves to a final position of 30 meters in 5 seconds. The displacement would be:
Displacement = 30 meters - 10 meters = 20 meters
And if the time taken is 5 seconds, you can calculate the speed as:
Speed = Displacement / Time = 20 meters / 5 seconds = 4 meters per second
Therefore, the speed of the object would be 4 meters per second.