Difference Between Speed And Velocity
written by Adeel AbbasThe difference between speed and velocity is that speed indicates how fast something is moving, whereas velocity indicates how fast something is moving in a particular direction. Since motion directly relates to both speed and velocity, it can be said that motion relates to both speed and velocity.
What is Velocity?
Velocity is the rate of movement of a body. It refers to the speed at which an object is moving. The velocity of an object is measured in miles per hour (mph). Acceleration is a change in velocity caused by a change in speed.
Velocity also refers to how fast something is moving. The formula of velocity is
Velocity=Displacement/time
Velocity can be measured in different units such as centimeters per second, meters per second, and knots. Velocity can be calculated using the formula m/s where m is the magnitude of the change in velocity and s is the magnitude of the starting speed. Speed and velocity are related, but they are not synonymous; they are different concepts that measure motion, impact, and movement.
Velocity indicates the speed at which an object is moving in a particular direction. An object’s velocity depends on its mass and direction of motion. For example, if someone throws a ball at you, your velocity increases if you throw the ball forward and decreases if you throw it backward.
A vehicle with a strong velocity often has a strong impact force if it hits something. A sports car’s greater speed than that of a truck often leads to greater damage when one collides with the former versus the latter.
What is Speed?
Speed is the distance covered by an object in a given amount of time. For example, if a car travels 100 meters in 2 seconds, its speed would be 50 meters per second. If a train travels 100 kilometers in 1 hour, its speed would be 100 kilometers per hour. Speed can be calculated using the formula
Speed =Distance / Time
where Distance is the length and Time is the duration of the measurement. A gun’s bullet moves at high speeds, so it has high speeds. A rocket moves at even higher speeds and has even greater speeds.
Difference between Speed and Velocity
There is some difference between speed and velocity.
Definition
| Velocity | Speed |
|---|---|
| The rate of change of Displacement is called velocity. | The rate of change of the distance is called speed. |
Formula
| The velocity can be calculated from the formula Velocity=change in displacement/time | The formula of speed is Speed=Distance/time |
Quantity
| Velocity is a vector quantity. | Speed is a scalar quantity. |
Magnitude
| The velocity of a moving object can be positive, negative, as well as Zero. | The speed of a moving object can not be negative or zero. |
Change of direction
| The velocity of an object depends on the direction. It changes with the change in direction | Speed does not change with the change in direction. |
Direction of Motion
| Velocity gives the idea about the direction of motion. | Speed never gives the idea about the direction of motion. |
Related FAQs
What is the main difference between speed and velocity?
The main difference between speed and velocity is that velocity is the rate of change in displacement while speed is the rate of change in distance.
How the magnitude of velocity and speed is different?
The magnitude of velocity can be positive, negative, as well as zero while the magnitude of speed is always positive.
What is the SI unit of speed?
The SI unit of speed is a meter per second(m/s).
Is speed can be zero?
Unless the body is stationary over a certain period of time, the average speed can’t be zero. The average speed is the ratio of the total distance traveled by a body to the total time interval taken to cover that distance. It is possible to have an average velocity of zero.
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