Velocity refers to the speed of an object in a given direction. Most of us know this word and have used or heard about it, maybe in sports, science or even in the routine of our daily lives. There are many reasons for you to use a velocity calculator. For instance, knowing your velocity can help you work out the speed you want to achieve in your walking or running, cycling, jogging or racecar driving.
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How to use the velocity calculator?
This very simple velocity calculator only requires two values for it to work. This makes it extremely easy to use as well. Here are the steps to follow:
- First, enter the value of the Distance then choose the unit of measurement from the drop-down menu.
- Then enter the value of the Time then choose the unit of measurement from the drop-down menu.
- After this, the velocity calculator will give you the value for the Velocity.
What is the formula of velocity?
Are velocity and speed the same? These terms are often used interchangeably but there’s a slight difference. You determine velocity on the basis of the difference between the object’s initial and final position plus the direction to which it’s moving. For speed, this refers to the rate at which an object covers a given distance.
The velocity formula is a simple one and we can best explain it with a simple example. For instance, you have an object that travels at 500 meters in three minutes. When calculating the velocity of the object, follow these steps:
First, change the minutes into seconds:
60 x 3 minutes = 180 seconds
Then use the velocity formula to find the velocity
v = distance / time = 500m / 180 seconds = 2.77 m/sec
Using a velocity calculator or an initial velocity calculator makes this task easier. Or you can use the calculator to check your answer.
How do you calculate speed and velocity?
Let’s assume that we have two objects which travel at varying speeds. Logic, of course, dictates that the one traveling faster goes further than the one which moves slower in the same period of time. Or you can interpret it in another way.
The one that moves faster gets there sooner than the one that moves slower. The first case has something to do with distance, while the second one has something to do with time. Speed, therefore, always involves both time and distance and you need these two factors to calculate speed. The formula for speed is:
v = d / t
where
v refers to the speed
s refers to the distance
t refers to the time
The relationship between velocity and speed is similar to that of displacement and distance. But the difference is that speed is scalar whereas velocity is a vector. This means that it includes direction as a property. To differentiate these two, the ‘v‘ for speed has an italicized formatting while the ‘v‘ for velocity has a bold formatting. Therefore, we can use the same formula for solving velocity:
v = d / t
where:
v refers to the velocity
d refers to the distance
t refers to the time
How do you find velocity with distance and time?
The velocity formula describes the relationship between time and distance. Even for the neophytes in physics, solving for velocity should be as easy as pie. The simple velocity formula only involves 2 values. But if you want things to become even easier for you, use the velocity calculator or the average velocity calculator if you need to find the average velocity.
How do you find the mean velocity?
The only data needed to calculate average or mean velocity is the change in position or total displacement, the total time, speed, and the direction of movement. In cases where constant acceleration is also involved, you can use shortcuts to find solutions much easier. Or you can use the average velocity calculator to perform the calculations for you.
Since velocity is a vector, it includes speed and direction. Any quantity that includes a direction are vector quantities. When expressed in equations, you can distinguish vectors from scalar quantities by putting an arrow over the symbol or by using different formatting. Observe this simple example:
v or v stands for speed
v→ or v stands for velocity or direction and speed
Displacement refers to the change in the object’s position. It’s the direction and distance between the object’s starting and endpoint. Where the object moved through before it reached its endpoint doesn’t matter.
Only the distance traveled from the start and endpoints matter. To illustrate this, let us assume that we have an object which moves at a constant speed in a single direction. This object traveled north for 5 minutes, and its constant rate is 120 meters/minute. Let’s calculate its average velocity starting with the velocity formula:
v = d / t
To solve for the distance, use the distance formula:
d = v * t = 120 meters/minute * 5 minutes = 600 meters north
The next step is to solve for the total amount of time spent using the same example. The object moved for 5 minutes. Express the average velocity using any unit of time. However, when using the international scientific standards, seconds is the norm.
Therefore, 5 minutes converted into seconds will give you 300 seconds. You may use hours for your calculations then convert the results into seconds later. This makes it easier to solve for the velocity.
Finally, calculate the average velocity as the displacement over time. Given the distance traveled by an object and the time taken to reach its endpoint, you can calculate how fast the object moved. Using the same example, we have:
v = d / t = 600 meters / 300 seconds = 2 meters / sec north
Since velocity is a vector quantity, you should include the direction which, in this case, is north. Using the actual average velocity formula, we have:
vav = Δs / Δt
where
vav refers to the average velocity
Δs refers to the change in position
Δt refers to the change in time.
The “Δ” is a mathematical symbol which means “change in.” You can express average velocity as either a “v” with a horizontal bar over it or “vav.”
