5.1.1

Basics of Motion

Test yourself

Velocity vs Speed

Velocity and speed are not the same things.

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Speed

  • Speed is a scalar quantity.
  • Scalar quantities only have a magnitude (size).
  • Scalar quantities, like speed, do not have a direction.
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Velocity

  • Velocity describes an object’s direction as well as its speed.
  • Velocity is a vector quantity because it has a magnitude (or size) and a direction.

Average Speed - Examples

Average speed = total distance / total time

Car

  • If the car travels 60 miles in 1 hour it will have travelled at an average speed of 60 miles per hour.

Usain Bolt

  • If Usain Bolt travels 100 metres in 10 seconds, his average speed will be 10 metres per second!

Jump to other topics

1Energy

2Electricity

3Particle Model of Matter

4Atoms & Radiation

5Forces

6Waves

7Magnetism

8Astrophysics

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