Velocity

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This article is about velocity in physics. For other uses, see Velocity (disambiguation).
Classical mechanics

Newton's Second Law

History of classical mechanics ·
Timeline of classical mechanics

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In physics, velocity is the measurement of the rate and direction of change in position of an
object. It is a vector physical quantity; both magnitude and direction are required to define it. The
scalar absolute value (magnitude) of velocity is speed, a quantity that is measured in meters per
second (m/s or ms−1) when using the SI (metric) system.

For example, "5 meters per second" is a scalar and not a vector, whereas "5 meters per second
east" is a vector. The average velocity v of an object moving through a displacement
during a time interval (Δt) is described by the formula:

Equation of motion
Main article: Equation of motion

The instantaneous velocity vector v of an object that has positions x(t) at time t and x(t + Δt) at
time t + Δt, can be computed as the derivative of position:

Time is one of the seven fundamental physical quantities in the International System of Units. An
operational definition of time,