In laboratory work, field work, and many every-day engineering applications, it is often required to find the speed of a moving object when the distance and time are known. This scenario has been common down through the ages, and was very vexing to the ancient Greek, Mesopotamian, Babylonian, Chinese, and Arab philosophers and mathematicians, especially those who were smart enough to ponder on it. In the ancient sacred writings of each ancient civilization in turn, we find the exclamation: "Oy ! Are we vexed by this scenario !" Perhaps unique among all intellectuals, the Hebrews were smart enough NOT to worry about it. But be that as it may, and it still is, the shifting sands of time have distilled and delivered to us the authoritative, foolproof method of solving and dispensing with this problem, right up to our own present time. Today we stand on the shoulders of giants, we see farther than they could, and our reach no longer exceeds our grasp. We now know an algebraic formula so simple, so succinct, so distilled, so concentrated, so conceived and so dedicated, that it is taught to our early teens, and they who forget it are taken out behind the woodshed to have their memory refreshed. The formula is: Distance covered = (speed) · (time to cover the distance). In the event that the speed is what we need to find, we first divide each side of the formula by (time to cover the distance), and then it says: Speed = (distance covered) divided by (time to cover the distance). We know both of the numbers on the right-hand side, and it becomes child's-play to calculate the number on the left-hand side ... namely, the speed.
In conclusion, may I say what a privilege and a pleasure it has been writing this response to your question. I trust that my effort will clarify and eliminate any remaining doubts on the subject, and I am grateful that you requested only one paragraph !
