2007-09-25 07:42:47 · 8 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
It's just the way we define it. Speed is the magnitude only, so it's a scalar. Velocity is defined as magnitude and direction, a vector. We needed different words for the two things, and that's what got settled on.
2007-09-25 07:45:53 · answer #1 · answered by Dvandom 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Scalar Quantity
2016-11-10 23:55:14 · answer #2 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Speed simply is a magnitude whereas velocity is a magnitude in a specific direction. Think of velocity as being a vector and speed being simply the norm of that vector.
2007-09-25 07:46:05 · answer #3 · answered by PMP 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Speed is classified as a scalar quantity because it IS a scalar quantity. You should always try to put things in the correct classification.
2007-09-25 07:46:08 · answer #4 · answered by morningfoxnorth 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Speed doesn't specify direction. Velocity does. Two cars going different ways on the same road can be going at the same speed, but they will not have the same velocity.
2007-09-25 07:47:48 · answer #5 · answered by John's Secret Identity™ 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because speed has a numerical value, velocity has a numerical quantity and a direction.
2007-09-25 07:45:37 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
speed is the norm of the velocity.
velocity has a direction, speed is the length of the velocity vector.
2007-09-25 07:46:02 · answer #7 · answered by gjmb1960 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Speed involves only magnitude, whereas velocity involves magnitude and direction.
2007-09-25 07:45:58 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋