Velocity
Physics: Edexcel IGCSE, topic 1.1.4
Velocity vs Speed
Velocity and speed are not the same thing.
Speed
- Speed is a scalar quantity.
- Scalar quantities only have a magnitude (size).
- Scalar quantities, like speed, do not have a direction.
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.
Test yourself on Velocity
Which of the following statements are true?
If a car travelling at a velocity of +10m/s suddenly turns around and continues at the same speed, what is its new velocity?