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Chapter 3: Problem 35

What is the difference between speed and acceleration?

Short Answer

Expert verified
Speed is how fast something moves. Acceleration is how quickly speed changes.

Step by step solution

01

Define Speed

Speed is the rate at which an object covers a distance over a period of time. It measures how fast something is moving. The formula for speed is given by
02

Define Acceleration

Acceleration is the rate of change of velocity of an object. It tells us how quickly an object's speed is changing. The formula for acceleration is given by
03

Compare Speed and Acceleration

Speed is a scalar quantity that refers only to how fast an object is moving regardless of direction, while acceleration is a vector quantity that refers to how fast the speed of an object is increasing or decreasing, and it includes direction.

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Key Concepts

These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.

speed definition
Speed refers to how quickly an object is moving. It is defined as the rate at which an object covers distance over a specific period of time.
For example, if a car travels 100 kilometers in 2 hours, its speed is 50 kilometers per hour: \( \text{Speed} = \frac{\text{Distance}}{\text{Time}} \).
This means speed only tells us how fast something is moving, not the direction in which it is moving.
acceleration definition
Acceleration measures how quickly the velocity of an object is changing. It indicates how fast an object's speed increases or decreases over time.
For instance, if a car's speed changes from 0 to 60 kilometers per hour in 10 seconds, its acceleration is 6 kilometers per hour per second: \( \text{Acceleration} = \frac{\text{Change in velocity}}{\text{Time}} \).
Unlike speed, acceleration provides information about the direction of the change in speed as well.
scalar quantity
A scalar quantity only has magnitude (size or amount) and no direction.
Common examples include:
  • Speed
  • Distance
  • Time
Speed is a prime example of a scalar quantity because it simply tells us how fast an object is moving, without specifying the direction.
vector quantity
In contrast, a vector quantity has both magnitude and direction.
Some common examples include:
  • Acceleration
  • Velocity
  • Force
Acceleration is a vector quantity because it not only measures how fast the speed of an object is changing but also the direction in which this change occurs.
For instance, saying that a car is accelerating at 5 meters per second squared north gives us full information about both its speed change and its direction.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

Place the following in order from largest to smallest semimajor axis. a. a planet with a period of 84 Earth days b. a planet with a period of 1 Earth year c. a planet with a period of 2 Earth years d. a planet with a period of 0.5 Earth year

Suppose a planet is discovered orbiting a star in a highly elliptical orbit. While the planet is close to the star it moves _______, but while it is far away it moves _______. a. faster; slower b. slower; faster c. retrograde; prograde d. prograde; retrograde

Most ancient Greek astronomers were skeptical about the idea that Earth revolved around the Sun because a. of their religious beliefs. b. it feels as though Earth is stationary. c. Earth is so important. d. the heavens were thought to be perfect.

A_______model of the Solar System puts Earth at the model of the Solar System puts Earth at the center, while a ______ model of the Solar System puts the Sun at the center. a. geocentric; heliocentric b. heliocentric; geocentric c. heliocentric; Copernican d. geocentric; Ptolemaic

Suppose you watch a car sliding on ice down a hill. As it slides, it slowly drifts to your right across the road, speeding up in that direction until it bumps into the curb. In this situation, which of the following is more likely, and why? a. The car was already traveling diagonally across the street before it hit the patch of ice. b. The road surface is rounded (or "crowned"), causing the car to be pushed across the street.
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