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Physics vocabulary · Motion and Forces

Velocity

Meaning in physics, with examples

/vəˈlɑːsəti/nounCore term

In physics, velocity means: How fast an object moves in a particular direction. It is speed with a direction, so it is a vector, measured in metres per second (m/s).

In Turkish: hız, hız vektörü

How it is used

Used whenever direction matters: initial velocity (u or v₀), final velocity (v), average and instantaneous velocity, constant velocity. If up is positive, a ball thrown upwards has a negative velocity on its way back down.

Example sentences

  1. The car's velocity changed from 15 m/s east to 15 m/s west, so its speed stayed the same but it still accelerated.

  2. Take upwards as positive, so the initial velocity is +12 m/s.

Common collocations

  • initial velocity
  • final velocity
  • constant velocity
  • average velocity
  • angular velocity
  • speedHow fast an object is moving, found by dividing the distance travelled by the time taken. It has no direction, so it is a scalar, measured in metres per second (m/s).
  • accelerationThe rate at which an object's velocity changes over time. It can mean speeding up, slowing down or changing direction, and it is measured in metres per second squared (m/s²).
  • displacementThe straight-line distance from an object's starting point to its final position, together with its direction. It is a vector, measured in metres.
  • vectorA quantity that has both a size (magnitude) and a direction, such as displacement, velocity, force or acceleration. It is often drawn as an arrow.
  • terminal velocityThe constant top speed reached by a falling object when the air resistance on it becomes equal to its weight, so the net force on it is zero.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Motion and Forces

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