Math Is Fun Forum

paulb203

Member

Registered: 2023-02-24

Posts: 346

Speed = Distance/Time

Who discovered this?

Someone online said Galileo. I thought it must have been the ancients.

Google says Galileo.

I'm still sceptical.

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Prioritise. Persevere. No pain, no gain.

Bob

Administrator

Registered: 2010-06-20

Posts: 10,643

Re: Speed = Distance/Time

distance and time are defined as fundamental units https://en.wikiversity.org/wiki/Fundamental_units

Speed is a derived unit.

The ancients certainly had the concept. Mariners, for example, would throw a piece of wood overboard to estimate the speed of their ship.  And I'm sure many horses were sold taking account of their speed.

Speed is a rate of change (of distance with respect to time) but it doesn't seem like they had the idea of miles per hour (using their own unit for distance).

So maybe Galileo was the first to do this.

Bob

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Children are not defined by school ...........The Fonz
You cannot teach a man anything;  you can only help him find it within himself..........Galileo Galilei
Sometimes I deliberately make mistakes, just to test you!  …………….Bob

paulb203

Member

Registered: 2023-02-24

Posts: 346

Re: Speed = Distance/Time

Thanks, Bob.

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Prioritise. Persevere. No pain, no gain.