Velocity is defined as which of the following?

Velocity is defined as which of the following?

• A. The rate of motion in a given direction.
• B. The distance moved per second.
• C. The acceleration vector.
• D. The total distance traveled.

Answer: (A)

Velocity is how quickly position is changing and in what direction. It’s the displacement (change in position) per unit time, with a specific direction, making it a vector quantity. That’s why the description “the rate of motion in a given direction” fits best. Think of a car moving 60 km/h north: the speed is 60 km/h, but the velocity is 60 km/h north. The other ideas aren’t correct: distance moved per second describes speed (no direction), acceleration is how velocity changes over time, and total distance traveled is just a scalar distance, not a rate with direction.

Velocity is how quickly position is changing and in what direction. It’s the displacement (change in position) per unit time, with a specific direction, making it a vector quantity. That’s why the description “the rate of motion in a given direction” fits best.

Think of a car moving 60 km/h north: the speed is 60 km/h, but the velocity is 60 km/h north. The other ideas aren’t correct: distance moved per second describes speed (no direction), acceleration is how velocity changes over time, and total distance traveled is just a scalar distance, not a rate with direction.