Difference between speed and speed
Speed and speed are terms used synonymously to refer to the relationship between the distance traveled and the time taken to cover it.
However, not in all cases speed and speed refer to the same thing. In more specialized fields, such as physics, they have slight differences.
The speed It refers to the distance that travels an object in a weather determined. Since this is calculated by taking the distance traveled and dividing it by time, the speed is a magnitude climb.
Instead, the velocity refers to the interval of weather it takes an object to move towards a direction determined. By involving the direction or sense of movement, velocity is a magnitude vector.
Speed |
Velocity |
|
|---|---|---|
Definition |
It is a scalar quantity that represents a distance traveled by a body in a given time. |
It is a vector quantity that represents the displacement of a body in a time interval. |
Characteristics |
|
|
Calculation |
Speed = distance traveled / time elapsed. |
Speed = displacement / elapsed time. |
Half |
It is obtained by dividing the distance traveled by the elapsed time. |
It is obtained by dividing the displacement by the elapsed time. |
| Magnitude | Scalar: described only with the use of numerical units. | Vectorial: described with the use of numerical units and direction. |
What is speed?
The speed indicates the relationship between distance traversed by an object and the weather that he used to go through it. As such, it can be measured in meters, kilometers, miles or knots (in the aquatic environment), per hour or per second.
Since speed is expressed according to distance and time, it is characterized by being a scalar magnitude, which means that to describe the speed, only numerical units.
Since speed involves covering a distance during an interval of time, it can only give a positive value.
Speed characteristics
- Consider the distance traveled and the time elapsed.
- It is a scalar quantity.
- The average speed results from the division between the distance and a time interval.
- It is always positive.
Medium speed
Average speed refers to the total distance traveled during a given time.
For example, when Usain Bolt set the world record for the 100 meter dash in 9.58 seconds, his average speed was 10.44 meters per second.
What is speed?
The velocity expresses the relationship between distance traversed by an object and the weather What does it take to travel to a direction specific.
Basically, velocity refers to the positional change of an object, from an initial reference point, towards the place to which this object has moved (the end point of the movement), and the time it took to do so.
Being a magnitude that also determines the direction in which the displacement, speed is considered a vector character magnitude.
Speed is measured in meters per second (m / s, according to the International System of Units), by direction.
In this sense, for an object to have a constant speed, it must travel in a constant direction for a certain amount of time. Any change in direction will imply variations in speed.
Speed characteristics
- Consider changing the position of an object in a specific direction.
- It is a vector magnitude.
- Average velocity involves the displacement between the time interval.
- You can give a positive, negative, or even null (zero) value.
Average speed
Average velocity is the displacement of an object from one position to another in a given time.
Since velocity takes displacement into account, if an object is in the same position after a specified time interval, its velocity is null (zero). In the same way, this magnitude can even be negative.
Learn more about the Difference between distance and displacement.
Speed and speed example
An example to better understand the difference between speed and speed would be the following: if an object is moving northward at 100 kilometers per hour for an hour, you will have a speed of 100 km / h north.
On the other hand, if instead of going north it follows a circular path at 100 km / h for an hour, ending at the same point where it started, then we will say that its speed has been zero, although with this object I had a speed of 100 km / h.
The speed, then, would be the scalar absolute value of the speed. In this sense, if there is no direction or heading, we will be talking about speed, while if a direction is followed, then it will be about speed.
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