Newsgroup: it.cultura.linguistica.inglese
Titolo: Speed versus velocity

Confesso l'ignoranza.
C'è differenza e sfumatura d'uso fra i due termini ?
Grazie in anticipo
Yours
Sal

 ha scritto


 mentre 'velocity' è solo il modulo.
<Non so di cosa sta parlando ma me la sono voluta.
Grazie moltissimo in ogni caso
Yours
Sal


Sal, te lo spiego io in parole piu' semplici. Actually, I think it's the
opposite of what Peltio told you .  This is what I remember from my college
days (hope I am correct):  Speed is how fast something is going.  Velocity is
how fast something is going AND in which direction.  Velocity is a vector
because it has both quantity and direction.  Speed isn't a vector.  If  you are
going at 10 mph ,  do not accelerate or decelerate and you are going in a
straight line, your speed is constant.  If you are going at 10 mph (your speed
is still constant), but at a certain point you make a turn, now there is a
change in velocity because you changed direction.  In other words, velocity and
speed in physics are not equivalent and what we commonly refer to as velocity
is really speed.  In fact, if you notice  traffic signs, they say "speed limit"
or "maximum speed".  They do not say "Velocity limit" (at least not in the US).
Va bene Peltio?  O ho detto qualche baggianata?  
ciao
arianna

 ciao
In attesa di Peltio, mi permetto di confermare l'esattezza delle tue parole.
In italiano distinguiamo solo fra 'velocità vettoriale' (velocity) e
'velocità scalare' (speed). Questo per quanto riguarda la fisica, mentre,
nella lingua di tutti i giorni, non operiamo una simile distinzione, nei
rari casi in cui se ne presenta la necessità.
Peltio queste cose le sa bene, ma dev'essere incorso in un lapsus, distratto
dai disegni sulla sua nuova cravatta ;-)
Ciao
Giorgio


 <Adesso ho capito tutto e vi ringrazio tantissimo.
    Peltio , beato lui, ieri sarà stato anche distratto da UFO in lingua
originale.
    Io mi sono dovuto accontetare del solito Tv movie americano su Channel
5.
    Yours
 Sal

 opposite of what Peltio told you .
PORC... !!!
E' vero è vero !!!!
scusate.
Tra l'altro ho commesso il peccato imperdonabile di contraddire le parole
del Supremo, Richard P. Feynman.
Basta questa (questa) è l'ultima volta che scrivo online. Da oggi in poi
solo offline.
Rileggendo almeno dieci volte quello che scrivo.
saluti,
Peltio

 Peltio
Dear Peltio,
Take it from one who has tried the same tactic: it helps sometimes, but
usually, still serves little purpose. Still we try what we can.
Windows back in and working?
--
I remain, as always,
Bambi
dtb

 direction.  
That's what my dictionary says too. Velocity has direction. 
cheers,
Loki
-- 

 Windows back in and working?
Only one time out of four.
But...
I'm familiarizing with the thought that maybe this is as good as it gets.
cheers,
yhs
Peltio

...

For practical purposes, the two words are synonymous.
"velocity" comes to English through Latin and French, meaning "swiftness".
"speed" is Germanic in origin, originally meaning "success/prosperity", (as
in wishing someone God's speed).
LP

For practical purposes, the two words are synonymous.
 I think everyone is aware of that.  However, there is a difference and that's
what Sal asked about.  We use the two terms interchangeably in everyday
language, but they are not synonymous.  
Arianna