please explain in easy to understand terms!
2007-03-08 08:38:56 · 6 answers · asked by Metus Ocultus 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
In technical terms, speed is a scalar quantity and velocity is a vector. What that means for you is this: Speed tells you how fast you are going. Velocity tells you how fast you are going and in what direction.
2007-03-08 08:43:12 · answer #1 · answered by Elisa 4 · 3⤊ 0⤋
The difference between speed and velocity is significant. Velocity is a vector and speed is a scalar. A vector has a quantity and a direction, but a scalar has only a quantity. If you say an airplane is flying at a velocity of 600 miles an hour heading 80 degrees from the north, you would be giving a vector showing the speed of the airplane and the direction of its heading. When you talk about a speed you are referring to the speed of any moving object without referring to its heading or the direction towards which its moving. Velocity is resembled with the letter V and a small arrow above the letter indicating that V is a vector and not a scalar. Speed is a quantity and written using the letter S only.
2007-03-08 08:55:49 · answer #2 · answered by lonelyspirit 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Velocity is a vector (magnitude and direction), speed is a scalar (magnitude). The speedometer on your car measures speed. If you go forward or reverse, you always get a positive number, a magnitude of how fast you are going. Direction is not important when calculating speed. If it measure velocity, you would get positive numbers when you are in drive and negative numbers when you are in reverse, meaning you can tell just be using your new speedometer whether you are going forward or backward. For velocity, direction of travel is important.
2007-03-08 09:09:59 · answer #3 · answered by msi_cord 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
velocity is speed with a direction. Why does this matter?
You will know if your car's velocity changed by whether you feel pushed around in the back seat.
Go around a turn at a constant speed. You feel it, so obviously your velocity changed.
2007-03-08 08:46:20 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
velocity includes a direction, speed does not.
velocity also relates to forces acting on an object, speed just tells distance/time
2007-03-08 08:44:52 · answer #5 · answered by Tom B 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Speed IS a velocity!
It is defined in meters per segonds!
v=d/t
or velocity is proportionnal to distance divided by time
In the case of acceleration, your velocity (speed) is changing!
a=d/t^2
scceleration is proportionnal to distance divided by time (in segonds square)
If your segonds are square you have an acceleration!
2007-03-08 08:47:02 · answer #6 · answered by Yahoo! 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋