How do speed and velocity differ from each other?

1 Answer
May 22, 2014

Speed is a scalar quantity, meaning that it has only a magnitude. If a car is traveling East at 30 miles per hour, you would say that its speed is 30 miles per hour.

Velocity is a vector quantity, and a vector includes both a magnitude and direction. In the example above, the car's velocity would be 30 miles per hour East. 30 miles per hour is the magnitude, and East is the direction.