Distance calculation is a critical aspect of kinematics, involving determining how far an object travels under given conditions. By knowing the speed of an object and the duration of travel, one can compute the distance using a simple and practical formula:
- The formula for calculating distance is given by \( d = v \times t \), where \(d\) is distance, \(v\) is speed, and \(t\) is time.
- This formula assumes that the speed is constant over the time interval.
- Distance is a scalar quantity, which means it only has magnitude and not direction.
In the given exercise, the kingfisher's dive distance - "the height from which it dove" - is calculated using this formula. With an average speed of 4.6 m/s over a time of 1.4 seconds, the distance turns out to be 6.44 meters.