Which term means speed in a particular direction?

• A. Speed
• B. Velocity
• C. Mass
• D. Friction

Answer: (B)

When we talk about how fast something is and which way it’s going, we’re dealing with a quantity that includes both magnitude and direction. That’s velocity. It’s a vector, meaning it has both size (how fast) and orientation (which way). Speed alone only gives how fast something moves, with no direction information, so it’s not enough to describe motion in a specific direction. For example, moving 60 km/h north describes velocity, while 60 km/h without a direction describes speed. Mass is a measure of how much matter something contains, and friction is a force that resists motion; neither incorporate direction into the description of motion.