What the hell is velocity?

Question

Please, explain it in a way that i might understand it and not in a confusing way!

Answer 1

Velocity = distance / time
It is the distance you travel over a period of time!

Answer 2

Speed and Velocity
Just as distance and displacement have distinctly different meanings (despite their similarities), so do speed and velocity. Speed is a scalar quantity which refers to "how fast an object is moving." A fast-moving object has a high speed while a slow-moving object has a low speed. An object with no movement at all has a zero speed.

Velocity is a vector quantity which refers to "the rate at which an object changes its position." Imagine a person moving rapidly - one step forward and one step back - always returning to the original starting position. While this might result in a frenzy of activity, it would result in a zero velocity. Because the person always returns to the original position, the motion would never result in a change in position. Since velocity is defined as the rate at which the position changes, this motion results in zero velocity. If a person in motion wishes to maximize their velocity, then that person must make every effort to maximize the amount that they are displaced from their original position. Every step must go into moving that person further from where he/she started. For certain, the person should never change directions and begin to return to where he/she started from.

Velocity is a vector quantity. As such, velocity is "direction-aware." When evaluating the velocity of an object, one must keep track of direction. It would not be enough to say that an object has a velocity of 55 mi/hr. One must include direction information in order to fully describe the velocity of the object. For instance, you must describe an object's velocity as being 55 mi/hr, east. This is one of the essential differences between speed and velocity. Speed is a scalar and does not keep track of direction; velocity is a vector and is direction-aware.

The task of describing the direction of the velocity vector is easy! The direction of the velocity vector is simply the same as the direction which an object is moving. It would not matter whether the object is speeding up or slowing down, if the object is moving rightwards, then its velocity is described as being rightwards. If an object is moving downwards, then its velocity is described as being downwards. So an airplane moving towards the west with a speed of 300 mi/hr has a velocity of 300 mi/hr, west. Note that speed has no direction (it is a scalar) and velocity is simply the speed with a direction.

As an object moves, it often undergoes changes in speed. For example, during an average trip to school, there are many changes in speed. Rather than the speed-o-meter maintaining a steady reading, the needle constantly moves up and down to reflect the stopping and starting and the accelerating and decelerating. One instant, the car may be moving at 50 mi/hr and another instant, it might be stopped (i.e., 0 mi/hr). Yet during the course of the trip to school the person might average 25 mi/hr.

Answer 3

Velocity is not thickness. It is what is called a vector in physics, meaning that it has magnitude and direction. Speed would be the magnitude of velocity, but it also has direction. For instance, velocity would be stated as something like 60 mph at a direction of N 45 degress W.

Answer 4

Velocity is like speed but it's a little different. Speed is how fast your are going, period. Velocity is how fast you are going in a particular direction.

If I am driving in a circle at 25mph then my speed is constant and is 25 mph.

My velocity, however, is changing. While the magnitude of my velocity (how "big" it is) is 25mph and is constant, the direction is changing.

Something with magnitude and direction, like velocity, is called a vector. In physics, vectors are important because direction is often important. There is special math that can be used to solve basic physics problems, called vector math. Vectors are added and subtracted in special ways.

Answer 5

Velocity is speed in a given direction, if you change your direction you change your velocity. You can figure out the velocity with the formula distance over time.(v= d/t) It's the distance traveled per unit time.

Answer 6

If a person in motion wishes to maximize their velocity, then that person must make every effort to maximize the amount that they are displaced from their original position. Every step must go into moving that person further from where he/she started. For certain, the person should never change directions and begin to return to where he/she started from. If you was to run at 10 miles per hour for 2 miles and then run back to where you started your velocity would be zero. You have to move away from where you started.


velocity is simply the speed with a direction

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Answer 7

The velocity of an object is simply its speed in a particular direction; both speed and direction are required to define it.

Answer 8

Velocity is the thickness of a substance. Like a dough would have velocity.

Answer 9

It's when you stay at 55 mph on the highway because of all the cops out on Labor Day weekend.

Answer 10

velocity is a fancy word for speed
except it is in a certain direction only just for keeping the things in perspective