What is the difference between velocity and speed?

Both the speed and the velocity show us how fast something is moving (the rate at which it changes its position). However, velocity is a vector quantity, which means it also gives us information about the direction of movement while the speed is a scalar and it is the modulus of the velocity.

BS
Answered by Bozhidara S. Physics tutor

3140 Views

See similar Physics GCSE tutors

Related Physics GCSE answers

All answers ▸

a )John heats up 2kg of water from 20 degrees c to 80 degrees c. How much energy input did this require? b )When John weighs the water at the end, he has less than he started with. Why might this be? c) What hazards are in this experiment?


A person swims from a depth of 0.5m to 1.7m below the surface of the sea. Denisty Sea Water = 1030 kg/m^3. g=Gravitational Field Strength = 9.8 N/kg. Calculate the change in pressure on the swimmer and give the unit.


A speaker emits a sound wave through a metallic block, with a speed of 0.42 km/s, and a frequency of 16kHz. Calculate the wavelength to 3.s.f. Describe the characteristics of a longitudinal wave.


What actually is current? Why does it differ from potential difference?


We're here to help

contact us iconContact ustelephone icon+44 (0) 203 773 6020
Facebook logoInstagram logoLinkedIn logo

MyTutor is part of the IXL family of brands:

© 2026 by IXL Learning