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When talking about velocity, you must include direction.

User Autumn
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Final answer:

Velocity is a vector quantity that includes both magnitude and direction. A change in velocity can involve a change in speed or direction, or both.

Step-by-step explanation:

Velocity, like speed, has SI units of meters per second (m/s), but because it is a vector, you must also include a direction. Furthermore, the variable v for velocity is bold because it is a vector, which is in contrast to the variable v for speed which is italicized because it is a scalar quantity.

Recall that velocity is a vector-it has both magnitude and direction. This means that a change in velocity can be a change in magnitude (or speed), but it can also be a change in direction. For example, if a car turns a corner at constant speed, it is accelerating because its direction is changing.

Velocity can be positive or negative. A positive velocity points in the direction you chose as positive in your coordinate system. A negative velocity points in the direction opposite to the positive direction.

User Justin Killen
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