To solve this, we can use the formula for average speed, which is:

$\text{Speed} = \frac{\text{Distance}}{\text{Time}}$

Given:

• Distance between the pitcher and the home plate: $18 \, \text{m}$
• Time taken for the ball to reach the home plate: $0.5 \, \text{seconds}$

Now, let's calculate:

$\text{Speed} = \frac{18 \, \text{m}}{0.5 \, \text{s}} = 36 \, \text{m/s}$

So the correct answer is C. 36 m/s.

Would you like further details or have any additional questions?

Here are five related questions to expand your understanding:

1. How would the speed change if the time taken was reduced to 0.4 seconds?
2. What is the speed in km/h, and how is it calculated?
3. If the distance increased to 20 meters, how would the speed be affected?
4. How can the concept of velocity differ from speed in this scenario?
5. What factors (such as air resistance) could affect the actual speed of the baseball?

Tip: To convert m/s to km/h, multiply by 3.6 (since $1 \, \text{m/s} = 3.6 \, \text{km/h}$).