What is the main difference between speed and velocity?

The distinction between speed and velocity is fundamentally about the incorporation of direction in the measurement. Velocity is defined as a vector quantity, meaning it includes both magnitude and direction. For instance, if a car is traveling north at 60 kilometers per hour, this speed includes the direction of travel, which is crucial for defining velocity.

In contrast, speed is a scalar quantity, representing only the magnitude of motion regardless of direction. For example, a car moving at 60 kilometers per hour simply indicates how fast it is going without specifying which way it is headed. Therefore, the inclusion of direction makes velocity distinct from speed and helps in understanding motion more comprehensively when analyzing the path taken from one point to another.

While it might be true that speed can involve distance and velocity involves displacement, the paramount difference that defines these two concepts lies in the directional aspect of velocity.