Physical Science · Motion & Measurement
Speed Experiment: Measure Distance, Time & Motion
Measure how long a cart takes to travel a fixed distance, calculate average speed, and use repeated trials to test how one change in a ramp setup affects motion.
Lesson plan
Speed Experiment: Measure Distance, Time & Motion
A step-by-step guide to help you teach this lesson.
Plan with confidence
Lesson overview
What students will learn
- Calculate average speed from measured distance and time using speed = distance ÷ time.
- Plan and carry out a fair cart investigation that changes one ramp condition while controlling other variables.
Key science ideas
- Speed tells how much distance an object travels during a certain amount of time.
- Average speed can be calculated as total distance divided by total time.
- If two carts travel the same distance, the one that takes less time has the greater average speed.
Lesson at a glance
- Grade 5
- 55 min
- ~12 min prep
- 8 materials
What’s included
- Lesson Plan
- Investigation
- Teacher Slides
- Printable Worksheet
- Teacher Answer Key
- Interactive Activity
- Vocabulary