Question

Differentiate between speed and velocity.

Answer 1

Hint The difference between speed and velocity is same as the difference between a scalar quantity and a vector quantity. Like scalar only have magnitude and velocity have magnitude and direction both, speed and velocity are also differentiated in the same way.

Complete Step by step Explanation
Speed is defined as the distance travelled by a body per unit time while the velocity is defined as the rate of change of position of a body with respect to time.
Formula for speed is given by ${\text{ speed }} = {\text{ }}\dfrac{{{\text{total distance covered}}}}{{{\text{total time taken}}}}{\text{ }}$ while formula for speed is given by ${\text{velocity = }}\dfrac{{{\text{total displacement}}}}{{{\text{total time taken}}}}$
SI unit of speed and velocity both is ${\text{m}}{{\text{s}}^{ - 1}}$ .
Speed can never be negative while velocity can be positive, negative or zero.
Velocity is a vector quantity whereas speed is a scalar quantity.
An object can possess different magnitudes of velocities at a moment while it can possess only one value of speed.
Velocity at a moment can be in different directions at a moment while speed can only be in one direction at a moment.

Note Magnitude of velocity can be different at a moment and can be in different directions. We always write velocity in vector notation. Velocity can be negative. If an object is moving in a negative direction then, we say that velocity of that object is negative. Magnitude of both velocity and speed is the same at any moment.