What is the formula for calculating average speed?

Average speed is defined as the total distance traveled divided by the total time taken to travel that distance. This relationship emphasizes the overall journey rather than taking into account direction or variations in speed that might occur during the trip, which distinguishes it from velocity.

In a practical sense, if an object moves a certain distance over a specific period, averaging that distance over the time gives a straightforward measure of how fast the object is moving on average. Hence, the formula that correctly expresses this concept is distance moved divided by time taken, which accurately represents average speed.

The other options, while they present other physical concepts, do not define average speed correctly. For instance, velocity is a vector quantity that incorporates direction, making it inappropriate for this context, while acceleration refers to the change in velocity over time, highlighting different aspects of movement. The last option represents a completely incorrect relationship and does not pertain to the calculation of average speed at all.