How Do You Calculate Speed & Velocity?
Speed and velocity are very similar in that they both more or less measure the rate of motion of an object, or the distance covered over a given time. Velocity is more specific in that it also takes position into account. If you are running around in a circle, you might have a speed of 10 mph. The velocity also takes into account the direction of your movement, so despite moving at a particular speed, if you end up where you started (with no net change in position), your velocity will be zero. Measure the distance covered. Clock the time it took to cover the distance. Divide the distance covered by the time. For example, if you are rolling a marble across the floor and it goes 20 feet in 4 seconds, its speed is 5 feet per second. Measure the change in position of the object from the starting point. Don’t follow the path of the object, just measure between the starting and ending points. Clock the time it takes for the object to cover the distance. Divide the measurement for the change