Why can velocity and speed be interchanged in the formulas?

Because in high school physics, all the problems you're given to deal with involve motion in a straight line, so you never have to deal with changes in the direction of motion. If it's OK to ignore direction, then speed and velocity appear to be the same thing.

Answered by AL2006 | 2024-06-10

In physics, speed is a scalar quantity with only magnitude, while velocity is a vector quantity that includes direction. In one-dimensional motion without direction changes, speed and velocity can be treated similarly in calculations. However, it's important to remember their differences in broader contexts.
;

Answered by AL2006 | 2024-12-26