Velocity vs. Acceleration
The main difference between velocity and acceleration is that velocity is the speed of any moving object in a specific direction while acceleration is the rate of change of velocity of that object.
Key Differences
The rate of change of displacement is known as velocity whereas acceleration is the rate of change of velocity.
Velocity is used to determine the time taken by a storm to reach on a coastline while acceleration is used to evaluate the performance of a vehicle.
SI unit of velocity is m/s while that of acceleration is m/s^
Velocity can be measured by dividing displacement by time while acceleration can be measured by dividing velocity by time.
Comparison Chart
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The speed of a moving object in a specific direction with respect to time is known as velocity.
The rate of change of velocity of a moving body is known as acceleration.
Nature
It is a vector quantity.
It is also a vector quantity.
Change
Velocity is the rate of change of displacement of a moving body.
Acceleration is the rate of change of velocity of a moving body.
Formula
Displacement/time
Velocity/time
SI unit
Its SI unit is m/s.
Its SI unit is m/s^2
Application
Velocity is used to measure the time taken by a storm to reach on a coastline.
Acceleration is used to evaluate the performance of a vehicle.
Velocity and Acceleration Definitions
Velocity
Rapidity or speed of motion; swiftness.
Acceleration
The act of accelerating.
Velocity
(Physics) A vector quantity whose magnitude is a body's speed and whose direction is the body's direction of motion.
Acceleration
The process of being accelerated.
Velocity
The rate at which something acts or occurs
The velocity of metabolism of glucose in muscle cells.
Acceleration
Abbr. a(Physics) The rate of change of velocity with respect to time.
Velocity
The rate at which money changes hands in an economy.
Acceleration
(uncountable) The act of accelerating, or the state of being accelerated; increase of motion or action; as opposed to retardation or deceleration.
A falling body moves toward the earth with an acceleration of velocity
Velocity
(physics) A vector quantity that denotes the rate of change of position with respect to time, combining speed with a directional component.
Acceleration
(countable) The amount by which a speed or velocity increases (and so a scalar quantity or a vector quantity).
The boosters produce an acceleration of 20 metres per second per second.
Velocity
Rapidity of motion.
The train was travelling at a slower velocity than usual.
Acceleration
(physics) The change of velocity with respect to time (can include deceleration or changing direction).
Velocity
The rate of occurrence.
Acceleration
The advancement of students at a rate that places them ahead of where they would be in the regular school curriculum.
Velocity
(economics) The number of times that an average unit of currency is spent during a specific period of time.
Acceleration
The act of accelerating, or the state of being accelerated; increase of motion or action; as, a falling body moves toward the earth with an acceleration of velocity; - opposed to retardation.
A period of social improvement, or of intellectual advancement, contains within itself a principle of acceleration.
Velocity
Quickness of motion; swiftness; speed; celerity; rapidity; as, the velocity of wind; the velocity of a planet or comet in its orbit or course; the velocity of a cannon ball; the velocity of light.
Acceleration
An increase in speed;
Modern science caused an acceleration of cultural change
Velocity
Rate of motion; the relation of motion to time, measured by the number of units of space passed over by a moving body or point in a unit of time, usually the number of feet passed over in a second. See the Note under Speed.
Acceleration
The act of accelerating; increasing the speed
Velocity
Distance travelled per unit time
Acceleration
(physics) a rate of change of velocity
Velocity vs. Acceleration
Both velocity and acceleration are the fundamental concepts in physics that are used to describe motion. Motion is the movement or the change in the position of a body with respect to time. Walking, running, driving, diving, flying of birds and falling of leaves etc. are all the states of motion. Velocity is the speed of the moving body in a specific direction while acceleration is the change in velocity of the moving body with respect to time. So, velocity is the rate of change of displacement whereas acceleration is the rate of change of velocity.
What is Velocity?
Velocity is the distance that the moving object has covered in a specific direction in a particular interval of time. In other words, we can say that it is the rate of change of displacement. If an object moves up to a specific point and then back to its starting position than the velocity of the moving object will be zero. It is a vector quantity, i.e. both magnitude and direction are required to explain it. Velocity is used to measure the time taken by a satellite to reach the moon. Its unit is m/s.
Formula
The velocity of a moving object can find out by the formula: Velocity = Displacement/time
Example
If a car is moving 100m in 10 seconds towards north than its velocity is 10m/s towards the north.
What is Acceleration?
Change in velocity of a moving body with respect to time is known as acceleration. In other words, we can say that it is the rate of change of velocity of a moving body. It is the net result of all the forces acting on a body. It is also a vector quantity. Acceleration is used to evaluate the performance of a moving body. An instrument known as an accelerometer is used to measure the acceleration. Its SI unit is m/s^2. There are two types of acceleration.
Centripetal Acceleration
If a body is moving with uniform speed in a circular path than its acceleration is called centripetal acceleration because the direction of the motion is changing every moment.
Tangential Acceleration
A type of motion in which there is no change in direction while speed is changing with time is known as tangential acceleration.
Formula
Acceleration of a moving object can find out by the formula: Acceleration = Velocity/time
Example
A pendulum moving in a circular path is an example of centripetal acceleration because the direction of its velocity is constantly changing in a circular path while a car moving such that its speed or velocity is continuously increasing in the same direction is an example of tangential acceleration.
