Hastighet

Hastighet is the Swedish term for speed or pace. In everyday language it describes how fast something moves or how quickly an action occurs, such as the speed of a car or the tempo of a task.

In physics, hastighet is usually translated as speed and is defined as the rate of motion. It is a scalar quantity that measures how much distance an object travels per unit of time. The basic formula is speed = distance divided by time. Common units include meters per second (m/s) in the International System of Units, as well as kilometers per hour (km/h) or miles per hour (mph) for everyday use. Speed can be average or instantaneous: average speed is total distance divided by total time over a journey, while instantaneous speed is the speed at a specific moment.

Velocity is closely related but distinct. While hastighet (speed) refers to how fast an object moves, velocity adds direction and is therefore a vector quantity. An object can have the same speed but different velocities if its direction differs. Instantaneous velocity combines speed with direction, whereas average velocity uses the overall displacement over time.

Measurement and limits are central in practical contexts. Devices such as speedometers, radar, or timing methods assess hastighet. Speed limits regulate movement in traffic, and speed is a fundamental concept in engineering, sports, and science. In physics, no object with mass can reach or exceed the speed of light, establishing a universal speed limit and leading to relativistic effects at high velocities.

Beyond motion, hastighet in Swedish also denotes rate or throughput in non-kinematic contexts, such as data transfer rates or reaction speeds, reflecting its broader sense of how quickly processes occur.