What is the difference between Average Speed and Instantaneous Speed?

Majorly in the field of physics, kinematics is the science that deals with the study of the motion of an object, irrespective of what causes the motion. It usually has to do with the speed and velocity of the object. Speed, in physics, can be defined as the rate of distance covered. Its unit is usually in meter per seconds or kilometers per seconds. It is not that easy to express speed, and there are many ways by which speed can be expressed. Two of the ways would be discussed in this article, which is average speed and instantaneous speed.

Instantaneous speed can simply be defined as the rate of distance covered at a particular time; while average speed is the average rate of all instantaneous distance covered. Both the instantaneous speed and average speed are scalar quantities. The speedometer of a vehicle ultimately expresses its instantaneous speed; while the average of all instantaneous speed is the average speed.

Speed determines how fast an object is moving. Average speed is explained as the total distance covered divided by the time interval. The average speed does not describe the speed variations that may have taken place during shorter time intervals.

Speed, at some instant, or presumed constant during a short period, is called instantaneous velocity. By viewing a speedometer, one can read the instantaneous speed of a car on the spot. In mathematical terms, the instantaneous speed is defined as the magnitude of the instantaneous velocity. Average speed does not describe speed variations.