What term is used to describe a change in velocity?

What term is used to describe a change in velocity?

• A. Deceleration
• B. Acceleration
• C. Velocity
• D. Speed

Answer: (B)

The term that describes a change in velocity is acceleration. Acceleration is defined as the rate at which an object changes its velocity. This can involve an increase or decrease in speed, or a change in direction, all of which results in a change in velocity over time. When an object speeds up, it is experiencing positive acceleration. Conversely, if it slows down, it is often informally referred to as deceleration, though this is a specific case of negative acceleration. It’s important to recognize that acceleration encompasses both scenarios as well as any changes in direction. In physics, velocity is a vector quantity that includes both speed and direction, while speed is a scalar quantity that indicates how fast an object is moving but does not include direction. Thus, the correct term for describing a change in velocity in any of these contexts is acceleration.

The term that describes a change in velocity is acceleration. Acceleration is defined as the rate at which an object changes its velocity. This can involve an increase or decrease in speed, or a change in direction, all of which results in a change in velocity over time.

When an object speeds up, it is experiencing positive acceleration. Conversely, if it slows down, it is often informally referred to as deceleration, though this is a specific case of negative acceleration. It’s important to recognize that acceleration encompasses both scenarios as well as any changes in direction.

In physics, velocity is a vector quantity that includes both speed and direction, while speed is a scalar quantity that indicates how fast an object is moving but does not include direction. Thus, the correct term for describing a change in velocity in any of these contexts is acceleration.