What is the difference between speed and velocity?
Quick answer
Speed is a scalar quantity — it tells you only how fast an object moves (magnitude), with no direction. Velocity is a vector — it tells you how fast AND in which direction.
For example, a car going 60 km/h has a speed of 60 km/h; saying it goes 60 km/h due north states its velocity. An object can move at constant speed but changing velocity (e.g. a car going round a circular track at steady speed — its direction keeps changing, so its velocity changes).
Average speed = total distance / time; average velocity = displacement / time.
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