What is the difference between speed and velocity?

In physics, speed and velocity are often used interchangeably, but they actually have different meanings. Speed is a scalar quantity that measures how fast an object is moving regardless of its direction, whereas velocity is a vector quantity that not only measures the speed of an object but also its direction of motion.

In mathematical terms, speed is calculated as the distance traveled divided by the time taken, while velocity is calculated as the displacement divided by the time taken. Therefore, while speed tells us how fast something is going, velocity tells us both how fast and in which direction an object is moving.