What term describes the distance covered divided by the time taken to cover that distance?

The term that describes the distance covered divided by the time taken to cover that distance is speed. Speed measures how fast an object is moving, focusing purely on the distance traveled over a specific time interval. It is a scalar quantity, meaning it only has magnitude and does not include directional information.

In this context, if you were to calculate speed, you would take the total distance traveled and divide it by the total time taken, giving you a precise measure of how quickly something is moving. This is essential in various applications, from understanding motion in sports to analyzing vehicle performance.

Other terms like acceleration, velocity, and momentum pertain to different concepts. Acceleration refers to the rate at which an object changes its velocity over time. Velocity, while similar to speed, includes direction, making it a vector quantity. Momentum involves the product of an object's mass and its velocity, reflecting how difficult it would be to stop the object. Each of these concepts plays a vital role in physics, but speed specifically emphasizes the distance-time relationship.