Whats the difference between speed and velocity?

Although these two words can be used interchangably they are very very different. Its easier to explain if you break down their equatoins.

Speed = distance / time
Velocity = displacement / time

The difference between distance and displacement is difficulat to explain but is best described as the following:

Distance is a scalar property that refers to how much ground an oject has covered during its motion.

whereas 

Displacement is a vector quantity that refers to how far our of place an object is, i.e the objects overall change in position.

The differences in these will become more apparent when studying forces and equations of motion so do not worry if you cannot get your head around the definitions at this instant

MG
Answered by Michael G. Physics tutor

9447 Views

See similar Physics GCSE tutors

Related Physics GCSE answers

All answers ▸

How can an object accelerate without changing speed?


Why can heat only be transferred through a vacuum by radiation, and not conduction or convection? (3)


What is centripetal force?


The amplitude of a simple harmonic oscillator has decreased from 40cm to 38cm. What percentage of energy did the harmonic oscillator lose?


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