How many methods are there for determining the speed of a moving target?

• A. Two methods
• B. Three methods
• C. Four methods
• D. Five methods

Answer: (B)

Determining how fast a moving target travels is about measuring the rate at which it covers distance. In typical field practice, three practical methods are taught. The timing method uses a known distance and measures how long the target takes to cover it, then speed is distance divided by time. The pacing method relies on a known step length or pace; by counting how many paces the target covers over a known distance, you infer speed. The range-rate or angular-rate method watches how the range to the target or the bearing changes over time and converts that rate of change into speed with basic trigonometry or rate formulas. Each method works in different observational setups: timing when you can measure a segment directly, pacing when you’re counting steps or using your own motion as a reference, and range- or bearing-rate when you have continuous observation of motion from a fixed point. Because these three cover the common practical ways to quantify motion, there are three methods.