Question
Briefly explain how velocity is different to speed. __
Answer
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Patsy
Elite · Tutor for 8 years
Answer
### Velocity is a vector quantity that defines the direction of motion, while speed is a scalar quantity that only measures the magnitude of movement.
Explanation
## Step1: Understanding velocity and speed### Velocity and speed are both measures of an object's movement, but they are not the same. The key difference between the two is that velocity is a vector quantity, while speed is a scalar quantity.## Step2: Defining vector quantity### A vector quantity is defined by both magnitude and direction. In the case of velocity, it measures not only how fast an object is moving (the magnitude), but also in what direction the object is moving.## Step3: Defining scalar quantity### On the other hand, a scalar quantity is defined by magnitude only, and does not include direction. Speed is a scalar quantity, as it measures the total distance an object covers in a certain period of time, without considering the direction in which the object is moving.## Step4: Illustrating the difference with an example### For example, if a car is moving at a speed of 60 km/h to the north, its speed is 60 km/h. However, its velocity is 60 km/h to the north, as it includes both the speed and the direction of the movement.