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What Do You Need to Know to Determine Velocity?

When considering velocity in the context of physics, the concept can seem complicated, but can be understood in several ways. In physics, velocity is defined as a vector quantity made up of a body's speed, as well as the direction that the body is traveling. Velocity is the measurement of both speed and direction, which is done by examining certain elements. The equation for velocity is V = S/T.

Displacement
- Displacement is different from distance, as distance is the total amount of of travel. Displacement on the other hand, is how far away a point is from the original location. For example, walking 10 feet forward, then 5 feet backward is a distance of 15 feet, but a displacement of only 5 feet. Displacement is represented as the S in the velocity equation.
Graphing Displacment
- Though displacement is different from distance, it is measured in the same units. Displacement is a relatively simple property, and can be found by subtracting a point or object's original position from that object's final position. Additionally, displacement can be graphed by rearranging the velocity equation to read S = V times T, and inputting the velocity and time values as the x and y graph values.
Acceleration
- The T in the velocity equation stands for acceleration, another principle that can appear complex, but is simply the change of velocity per time. Acceleration can be written as the change in velocity over the change in time, and is typically measured in meters per second to the power of negative two.
Graphing Acceleration
- By graphing displacement as S=V times T, the acceleration can also be found. Since acceleration can be written as the change in velocity over the change in time, the value of the slope of the line in a graph of displacement is equal to the acceleration. Additionally, finding the area of the space under line of a displacement graph is equal to the total distance traveled by the body in question.

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