Describing

Motion Using
Distance, Time,
And Speed
Science 4
Quarter 3, Week 4
Learning Competency
Learning Competency 1: The learners measure
accurately the distance and time when things
move usingsimple equipment.
The learners will be able to:
Lesson Objective 1: define the concepts of
distance and time as they relate to motion;
Lesson Objective 2: familiarize oneself with
simple equipment to measure distance and time,
like a meter stick,ruler, measuring tape, and
stopwatch
Learning Competency 2: The learners
identify that how far an object moves in a
given time is called speed.
The learners will be able to:
Lesson Objective 1: calculate the speed of a
moving object;
Lesson Objective 2: recognize the
importance of having accurate
measurements in describing motion
Day
Directions: What is force?
What are its effects?

_____________________________
________________________
Let’s watch this!

Is the horse moving forward or

backward?

Youtube Link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=ukJpogiGJA0
Distance

Distance refers to the total length of the path

traveled by an object, regardless of direction. It
is a scalar quantity, meaning it only has
magnitude and no direction.
It is typically measured in units like meters (m),
kilometers (km), miles, etc.
Distance can be thought of as the "how much"
of travel, without considering the specific route
or direction taken.
Time
Time is a measure of the duration
between two events or the interval
during which something happens. It is
a scalar quantity and is measured in
units such as seconds (s), minutes
(min), hours (h), etc.
Time helps in understanding the rate at
which events occur or the duration for
Distance and Time in Relation to Motion
In the context of motion, distance and time are
two key concepts used to describe how objects
move.
1. Distance:
Distance refers to the total length of the path an
object travels during its motion, regardless of the
direction. It is how far the object has moved from
its starting point. For example, if a car moves
along a curved road, the distance is the total
length of the road covered, not how far the car is
from its starting point in a straight line. Distance
2. Time:
Time is the duration or interval over
which the motion occurs. It measures
how long it takes for an object to move
from one point to another. For example,
if a car travels a certain distance, the
time tells us how long it took to cover
that distance. Time is measured in units
like seconds (s), minutes (min), or hours
PUSH AND GO
What you need:
toy car
meter stick or ruler stopwatch

What to do:
1. Find a flat surface on the floor.
2. Mark a starting point on the floor.
3. Put the toy car on the starting line. See to it
that the front end of the toy car is aligned to
4. Gently push the toy car with your hand.
Then, record the time it travels using your
stopwatch and the distance using the
meterstick or ruler.
5. Bring the toy car back to the starting line,
but push the toy car with a greater force than
the first trial. Write your data for the second
trial in Table 1.
6. Repeat step number 5 for trials 3 - 5 with
increasing forces applied. Record your data in
Table 1. Write your observations in your science
Table 1. Distance and time traveled by the
toy car.
Trial no. Distance Time
covered covered (s)
(cm)
1
2
3
4
Directions:
Based on the activity, answer the following
questions. Write your answers in your science
notebook.
1. What action makes the toy car move?

2. In which trial did the toy car travel the

shortest distance? Why?

3. In which trial did the toy car travel the

longest distance? Why?
What is a
motion?
Direction: Give
your conclusion the
activity.
Conclusion:
____________________________________
____________________________________
____________________________________
____________________________________
____________________________________
____________________________________
Day
Directions: Identify
what is ask in the
statement and
choose your answers
in the box.
Vector Scalar Motion Reference
Point
Frame of Reference
Speed Velocity Distance Average
Velocity Displacement
____________1. It is the movement of an
object from one location to another
____________2. It refers to something that is
not moving with respect to an observer that
can be used to detect motion.
____________3. It is a fixed point used to
determine motion.
____________4. It is a scalar quantity that
refers to the total movement of an object
without any regard to direction.
____________5. It is a vector quantity and has a
quantity and direction, and it refers to the
shortest distance from initial to final position.
____________6. It is a measurement of how fast
an object moves relative to a reference point.
____________7. It is a speed with a direction.
____________8. It is the total displacement
divided by the total time taken.
____________9. Velocity is a _________ quantity.
____________10. Speed is a __________ quantity
Find the five (5) words that can be
associated with MOTION. Words
may appear straight across,
backward straight across, up and
down, down and up, and diagonally.
Write the words that you have
found in your science notebook.
Distance
Distance is the total length of the path
that an object moves along, without
considering the direction. It is a scalar
quantity, meaning it only has size or
magnitude, not direction. Distance is
usually measured in units such as meters
(m), kilometers (km), or miles. It
represents the "amount" of travel,
independent of the specific path or
Time
Time is the measurement of the
duration between two events or the
period during which something occurs.
It is a scalar quantity, measured in
units like seconds (s), minutes (min),
or hours (h). Time helps in
understanding how quickly events
unfold or the length of time an object
Distance and Time in Motion

When we talk about how things move, two

important ideas are distance and time.
These help us understand how far something
travels and how long it takes to get there.
1. Distance:
Distance is how far something travels. It tells
us the total length of the path an object
takes when it moves.
For example, if you walk from your house to the
store and then to a friend’s house, the distance
is how far you traveled in total, no matter if you
took a straight or curved path. We measure
distance in units like meters (m), kilometers
(km), or miles.
2. Time:
Time is how long it takes for something to
move from one place to another. For example,
if it takes you 10 minutes to walk to the park,
time tells us the amount of time it took. We
measure time in seconds (s), minutes (min), or
When we know both distance and
time, we can figure out how fast
something is moving. This is called
speed. Speed tells us how far
something travels in a certain amount
of time. To find speed, we use this
simple formula:

Speed=Distance/Time
So, if you walk 100 meters in 20
seconds, you can figure out how
fast you were walking by dividing
the distance (100 meters) by the
time (20 seconds). The result gives
you the speed in meters per second
(m/s). The faster you go, the more
distance you cover in less time!
The illustrations in the activity yesterday
indicate that force is exerted when you
push the toy car. When you lift a sack of
rice, you exert force by pulling the sack
upward. When you push a stalled car, you
exert force to move it forward. When you
mop a floor using a rag, you exert force by
moving the rag back and forth. When you
close a door, you exert force by pulling on
the doorknob. So, we define force as a
Forces may initiate and influence motion. When
you exert force, therefore, motion is produced.
Motion is a change of place or position in
relation to time due to the applied force. How
far it moves, or it is moved is the distance.
Distance is measured in meter (m) same as for
the length according to the International
Bureau of Weights and Measurements (BIMP),
but the standard unit for distance on a smaller
scale is centimeter (cm) and kilometer (km) for
When there is movement, there is motion. Motion
is also defined as a change in position with
respect to a reference point. A reference point is a
place or object used for comparison to determine
if something is in motion. An object is in motion if
it changes position relative to a reference point.

The fastness and slowness of a motion at a

certain distance can be calculated using the time
it takes for an object to cover the distance. The
second (s) is the basic unit of time, but for longer
durations, minute (min or m) or hour (h) may be
Directions: Give at least five
(5) activities at home and
school, where there is
motion. Copy the table
below and write your
answer in your science
notebook.
 HOME SCHOOL
1. 1.
2. 2.
3. 3.
4. 4.
5. 5.
How can you say
that an object
moved?
Directions: Draw an
illustration that shows
motion and reference
point. Draw your
illustration in your
science notebook.
Day
Directions: Observe the picture
below and identify the points of
reference that the car is in
motion. Give atleast five and
write your answers in the space
provided. What are the
reference points of the moving
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
When do we
usually see this
signage? What
does it mean?
Distance
Distance is the total length of the path
that an object moves along, without
considering the direction. It is a scalar
quantity, meaning it only has size or
magnitude, not direction. Distance is
usually measured in units such as meters
(m), kilometers (km), or miles. It
represents the "amount" of travel,
independent of the specific path or
Time
Time is the measurement of the
duration between two events or the
period during which something occurs.
It is a scalar quantity, measured in
units like seconds (s), minutes (min),
or hours (h). Time helps in
understanding how quickly events
unfold or the length of time an object
Simple Equipment to Measure Distance and
Time

1. Meter Stick
A meter stick is a long, straight tool used to
measure distance. It is exactly 1 meter long
(about the length of a baseball bat). You can
use a meter stick to measure how far
something is from one point to another, like
measuring how long your desk is or how far
• To use it, simply place one end of the meter
stick at the starting point and extend it to the
endpoint of the object you're measuring. You’ll
see numbers marked on the stick, telling you
the distance in meters and centimeters.
2. Ruler
A ruler is a smaller tool, usually about 30
centimeters (or 1 foot) long. It is helpful for
measuring smaller distances, like the length of
a book, a pencil, or a piece of paper. It shows
measurements in centimeters (cm) and
millimeters (mm).
• To measure something with a ruler, place it next to
the object, lining up the "0" mark of the ruler with one
end of the object. Then, read the number at the other
end of the object to see its length.
3. Measuring Tape
A measuring tape is a flexible tool that can measure
longer distances, like the length of a room or a piece of
furniture. It rolls up into a small case and can stretch out
to several meters or even more. Measuring tapes are
marked with both centimeters and inches.
• To use a measuring tape, pull it out to the length
you need to measure. Then, place the beginning of the
tape at one end of the object, and stretch the tape to
Read the number at the end of the object to
find the distance.
4. Stopwatch
A stopwatch is used to measure time. It helps
us see how long something takes. For example,
you can use a stopwatch to time how long it
takes you to run a race, or how long it takes to
boil water.
• To use a stopwatch, press the start button
when the action begins. When the action ends,
press the stop button. The stopwatch will show
the time in seconds or minutes, depending on
Some stopwatches also show milliseconds
for very quick events.
Why Are These Tools Useful?
These tools are helpful because they let us
measure distance (how far something
moves) and time (how long it takes) easily.
By knowing both, we can calculate the
speed of things moving. For example, you
can measure how far a toy car travels with
a ruler and use a stopwatch to see how
Then, you can find out how fast
the car is by dividing the
distance by the time!
These tools are simple, easy to
use, and can help you
understand more about the
world around you.
Motion is the movement of objects from one
location to another. Whenever anything
moves from one location to another, motion
is involved. Even when something moves in
a circle or a cycle and comes back to where
it started, there is motion because the
object moves to intermediate points before
returning to its starting position. Motion
always takes time. No matter how fast an
object moves, it takes some time to travel
from one location to another.
When a body or an object is continuously
changing its position with respect to the
frame of reference, then we can say that
the body is in motion. Frame of reference
refers to something that is not moving
with respect to an observer that can be
used to detect motion.

Here are some examples to understand

better the Frame of Reference:
The objects that appears to be
not moving (trees, mountains,
driveways, streetlights,
mailboxes, etc.) is what is
known as a reference point.
Observe the picture below to
understand better the
reference point:
A car is in the highway, how did you know that it
is moving? Well, you compared the car to the
houses and trees. Those were all reference
points. They helped you to determine that the
car in fact moving. A reference point is a fixed
point used to determine motion.

But remember that not all reference points have

to be standing still. An example of a reference
point that is moving is when you look out the
window of a car and notice that you are moving
faster than the car next to you.
The car next to you is moving, it is just
moving slower than your car. You use
that other car as a reference point to
determine that your car is moving.
Almost everything can be used as a
reference point. The Earth, classrooms,
hallways, basketball court, tables, and
chairs are full of things that you can
use compare motion.
Measuring Motion International System of Units
(SI)

Scientists all over the world use the same

system of measurement so that they can
communicate clearly. This system of
measurement is called the International System
of Units. When describing motion, scientists use
SI units to describe the distance an object
moves. When you measure distance, you
measure length. The SI unit of length is the
meter (m). The table below is examples of
Whenever we measure how much motion an object
has, we refer to it as the speed of an object. Speed
is defined as the distance of an object travels
divided by the time it took the object to travel that
distance.

Distance and Displacement

Distance is a scalar quantity that refers to the total
movement of an object without any regard to
direction. We can define distance as to how much
ground an object has covered despite its starting
The displacement is a vector
quantity and has a quantity
and direction. It refers to the
shortest distance from initial
to final position. See Figure
below
Speed and Velocity

Speed is a measurement of how fast an

object moves relative to a reference point.
It does not have a direction and is
considered a magnitude or scalar quantity.
The average speed of a body in a certain
time interval is the distance covered by
the body in that time interval divided by
time. Speed, distance and time can be
The standard unit of
measure for speed is
generally meters per second
or m/s. Speed is commonly
measured in meters per
second (m/s), or kilometers
per hour (km/hr).
Velocity Velocity is speed with a
direction. It is actually a vector
quantity as it has magnitude and
direction. The direction is important in
velocity because it’s using
displacement instead of distance. The
average velocity of an object is its
total displacement divided by the total
time taken. Velocity is represented by
To understand
velocity you should
know the
geographical
locations. See Figure
Example 1: A bee flew from its
beehive to a sunflower with a
distance of 15m and traveled
for 5 seconds. The
displacement of the beehive to
sunflower was 5m northeast.
Find the velocity of the bee.
Directions: Give the
equivalent of the
following English and
Metric System. Choose
your answers below in
the box.
How can you
say that an
object moved?
Directions: Using the
given data find the
speed and velocity of
the following.
Day
• What is the difference between a meter
stick and a ruler?
• How do you use a measuring tape to
measure something?
• Which tool would you use to measure the
length of a pencil: a meter stick, a ruler, or a
measuring tape? Why?
• How does a stopwatch help you measure
time, and what do you do when the activity is
done?
• Why is it important to measure distance
and time accurately when finding speed? Give
Today, we will learn
on how to calculate
the distance of a
moving object.
Distance
Distance is the total length an object travels,
regardless of direction. It is a measure of
how far something has moved and is usually
measured in units like meters (m),
kilometers (km), or miles.
Time
Time is the amount of time that passes
between two events. It tells us how long
something takes and is measured in units
like seconds (s), minutes (min), or hours (h).
To calculate the speed of a moving object,
you need to know two things:
1. Distance: How far the object has
traveled.
2. Time: How long it took to travel that
distance.
The formula to calculate speed is:

Speed=distance/time
Steps to Calculate Speed:
1. Measure the distance the object traveled.
For example, if you measure with a ruler or
meter stick and find that the object traveled
100 meters.
2. Measure the time it took for the object to
travel that distance. You can use a stopwatch
for this. Suppose it took 20 seconds.
3. Apply the formula. Substitute the values
for distance and time into the formula:
Answer the following questions:

1. What is the formula for calculating speed?

2. If a car travels 150 meters in 30 seconds,
what is its speed?
3. A runner covers a distance of 200 meters in
40 seconds. What is their speed?
4. A bicycle travels 100 kilometers in 5 hours.
What is its average speed?
5. If a person walks 500 meters in 10 minutes,
how fast are they walking in meters per
6. A train moves at a speed of 80 kilometers
per hour. How far will it travel in 2 hours?
7. You run 300 meters in 60 seconds. What is
your speed in meters per second?
8. A jet travels 1,000 kilometers in 2 hours.
What is its speed?
9. If a dog runs 200 meters in 25 seconds,
what is its speed in meters per second?
10. A car moves 120 meters in 15 seconds.
How long will it take to travel 240 meters at the
same speed?
Answer the following questions:

• A cyclist travels 180 meters in 30

seconds. What is the cyclist's speed in
meters per second?
• A runner covers a distance of 500
meters in 2 minutes. What is the
runner's speed in meters per second?
• A car moves at a speed of 25
meters per second. How far will the
car travel in 50 seconds?
• A train travels 240 kilometers in 3
hours. What is the train's speed in
kilometers per hour?
• If a person walks 1,000 meters in
20 minutes, what is their speed in
meters per minute?
What is the formula
on how to calculate
the speed of a
moving object ?
Choose the letter of the correct
answer.

Why is it important to have accurate

measurements when calculating
speed?
A) To calculate the distance traveled
B) To determine how fast something is
moving
What can happen if
measurements of distance and
time are inaccurate?
A) Predictions about speed can be
wrong
B) The object will stop moving
C) The time will always be shorter
D) The speed will increase
How can accurate measurements
help in sports?
A) They can make the athlete run
faster
B) They help coaches understand
the athlete's performance
C) They can change the outcome of
the race
D) They help the athlete rest longer
What happens if you don't measure
carefully when crossing the street?
A) You might misjudge the distance
or speed of an oncoming car
B) You will never need to cross the
street
C) The car will stop automatically
D) The street will change its
Why is it important to have accurate
measurements when doing science
experiments?
A) It makes the experiment faster
B) It helps us get accurate results to
understand how things work
C) It makes the experiment more exciting
D) It allows us to predict the weather
How does accurate measurement
affect predicting the future motion of
an object?
A) It helps us guess the future
movement
B) It allows us to predict when the
object will stop
C) It helps us predict when the object
will reach its destination
Why is measuring time important
when studying motion?
A) To know when the object started
moving
B) To measure how long something
takes to move
C) To guess how fast the object will
move
D) To stop the object from moving
Which of the following is a result of
using inaccurate measurements in
motion?
A) More accurate predictions
B) Safe crossing of the street
C) Incorrect speed calculations
D) Better performance in sports
What does measuring the distance
and time of two runners allow us to
do?
A) Predict how fast the runners will
be next time
B) Compare their speeds accurately
C) Make them run faster
D) Help them rest more
How can incorrect measurements in
experiments affect the results?
A) They will still show the correct
result
B) The experiment will be more fun
C) The results will be wrong and not
helpful
D) The results will be delayed
Day
• Why do we need accurate
measurements to calculate speed?

• How do accurate measurements

help us know when something will
arrive?

• Why is it important to measure

carefully when crossing the street?
• How does accuracy in
measuring help in science
experiments?

• How can accurate

measurements help compare
how fast two things are
Today, we will delve on
the Importance of
Accurate
Measurements in
Describing Motion
Distance
Distance is the total length an object travels,
regardless of direction. It is a measure of how
far something has moved and is usually
measured in units like meters (m), kilometers
(km), or miles.
Time
Time is the amount of time that passes
between two events. It tells us how long
something takes and is measured in units like
seconds (s), minutes (min), or hours (h).
The Importance of Accurate
Measurements in Describing Motion
When we study motion, it’s important
to have accurate measurements of
distance and time. This helps us
understand how fast things are
moving, how far they travel, and how
long it takes them to get there. Here’s
why accurate measurements are so
1. Understanding Speed and Performance
Accurate measurements allow us to
calculate the speed of an object correctly.
For example, in sports, measuring how far
an athlete runs and how long it takes helps
coaches understand their performance. If
the measurements are wrong, it could give
incorrect information about how fast or
slow they are moving, which could affect
training and improvement.
2. Predicting Future Motion
When we have accurate measurements,
we can better predict what will happen
next. For example, if we know how fast a
car is moving, we can predict when it will
reach its destination. If the measurements
are wrong, our predictions could be
inaccurate, leading to mistakes or unsafe
situations, like arriving too early or too
late.
3. Safety and Planning
Accurate measurements are also
important for safety. For example, if
you’re planning to cross a street,
knowing the exact distance and the
time it takes a car to reach you helps
you decide whether it's safe to cross. If
you didn’t measure carefully, you
could misjudge the car’s speed and
4. Experiments and Science
In science experiments, we rely on
accurate measurements to understand
how things work. For example, if you are
studying the speed of a ball rolling down a
hill, precise measurements of distance and
time help you calculate the speed
correctly. If the measurements are not
accurate, the results could be wrong, and
you won’t learn what’s really happening.
5. Comparing Different Movements
Accurate measurements help us
compare how different objects move. If
you measure the distance and time of
two runners, you can accurately
compare their speeds. Without
accuracy, you might think one is faster
when they’re actually moving at the
same speed.
Write TRUE if the statement is correct and
FALSE if it is not.

1. Accurate measurements help us calculate

the speed of an object correctly.

2. If the measurements are wrong, we can still

make accurate predictions about when a
moving object will reach its destination.
3. Accurate measurements are only important
for sports, not for safety when crossing the
street.

4. In science experiments, using inaccurate

measurements can lead to wrong results and
prevent us from understanding how things
work.

5. By measuring the distance and time of two

runners, we can easily compare their speeds
Instructions:
In groups with five members, students
conduct a walking activity to determine
how
fast or slow each walk is and who walks
fastest in the group.
Instruct the students to follow the
following procedure:
1. Go to the corridor or the nearest area to
your room that is clear and safe for this
2. Using the meter stick, measure 10
meters. Use chalk or any marker to
indicate the starting and ending points
with a line.
3. Let each member walk at a normal pace
(not fast nor slow) along the path from the
starting to the ending points. Ask another
member to record the time taken to walk
10 meters.
4. Let each member do two more trials by
5. Compute the fastest speed of each member
by dividing the distance traveled by the
shortest time of travel.
Process questions:
1. What happened to your travel time when you
walked slower? faster?
2. Who walked fastest in your group? What is
the basis for concluding that he or she is the
fastest in your group?
3. Is it safe when you move fast? Why?
Using the provided template,
ask the students to reflect on
bright ideas. In the light bulb
image, they will write 2-3
things in this lesson that were
new to them, 1 important thing
to remember, and 4 ideas or
Choose the letter of the correct answer.

Why are accurate measurements

important when calculating speed?
A) To understand how fast an object is
moving
B) To know the weight of the object
C) To know how long the object will stay in
motion
D) To understand the direction of the
What can happen if the measurements
of distance and time are incorrect?
A) The object will stop moving
B) Speed calculations may be wrong,
leading to inaccurate results
C) The object will speed up
automatically
D) The object will move in the wrong
direction
How do accurate measurements help
in sports?
A) They allow coaches to understand
an athlete's performance correctly
B) They help athletes perform better
without training
C) They allow athletes to rest longer
during practice
D) They change the results of a race
Why is it important to measure
carefully when crossing the street?
A) To know how long it will take to
cross
B) To ensure that we can safely
predict when a car will reach us
C) To speed up the process of
crossing
What role do accurate measurements play
in science experiments?
A) They help us understand the true
results of the experiment
B) They make the experiment more
interesting
C) They help the scientist perform the
experiment faster
D) They allow the experiment to be
completed without errors
Why is it important to know both distance
and time in order to predict motion?
A) So we can guess when the object will
stop moving
B) So we can calculate how fast the object
is moving
C) So we know which direction the object
is going
D) So we can calculate how long the object
will stay in motion
How can accurate measurements of
speed affect safety?
A) They allow us to predict when an
object will collide with something
B) They help us safely judge how fast
things are moving around us
C) They prevent the object from
stopping
D) They make the object move faster
What would happen if we didn’t
measure carefully when comparing
the speeds of two runners?
A) We might wrongly think one
runner is faster than the other
B) Both runners will run faster
C) The race will be canceled
D) The runners will stop moving
Why is it important to measure the
time and distance when studying
motion?
A) To know the exact location of the
object
B) To calculate the speed of the object
correctly
C) To predict when the object will stop
moving
What is the result of using inaccurate
measurements in a science
experiment?
A) The experiment will give wrong
results and we won’t learn the true
facts
B) The experiment will end sooner
C) The object will move faster