What unit measures the distance an object travels per unit of time?

The unit that measures the distance an object travels per unit of time is speed. Speed is defined as the rate at which an object moves, calculated by dividing the distance traveled by the time taken to travel that distance. The standard unit of speed in the International System of Units (SI) is meters per second (m/s).

When discussing motion, it is crucial to differentiate between speed and other concepts like acceleration, velocity, and momentum. Acceleration measures how quickly an object's speed changes over time, while velocity includes both the speed of an object and its direction of travel. Momentum, on the other hand, refers to the product of an object's mass and its velocity, providing a measure of how much motion an object has. Understanding these distinctions is essential in physics, as they describe different aspects of motion and dynamics.