This all-in-one online Velocity Calculator performs calculations using three methods. The first method uses the formula that relates the velocity of an object to the distance traveled and the time spent in motion. The second method applies to motion with constant acceleration. It uses the formula that relates the final velocity to the initial velocity, acceleration and elapsed time of movement. The third method is a method of calculating the average velocity of an object on a path consisting of sections, on each of which the object moves for a known time with a known constant velocity.
You can select the method first, and then enter the values of any known parameters into the input fields of this calculator and find the missing parameter. To add or delete a velocity when calculating the average velocity you may click the “+” symbol or the “–” symbol respectively.
Velocity Formula
Velocity is a physical vector quantity that is used to measure the rate and direction of change of an object’s position in space. The scalar absolute value of velocity is called speed. In what follows, we will consider the scalar value of velocity as in rectilinear motion.
In the case of uniform motion of an object, its velocity is expressed by the following formula:
$$v=\frac{s}{t},$$
where
\(v\) is the velocity,
\(s\) is the distance traveled,
\(t\) is the elapsed time.
In the case of non-uniform motion, this velocity formula gives the average speed of the object over the distance traveled.
Velocity has dimension M·T−1. The SI units for velocity are meters per second (m/s), but velocity may also be expressed in any units of distance per time. Some other popular units include feet per second (ft/s), kilometers per hour (kp/h), and miles per hour (mph).
Equation for Constant Acceleration
In the case of constant acceleration (we consider here the scalar value of acceleration), the velocity obeys the following equation:
$$v_{f}=v_{i}+at,$$
where
\(v_{i}\) is the initial velocity,
\(v_{f}\) is the final velocity,
\(a\) is the acceleration.
\(t\) is the elapsed time.
Equation for Average Velocity
Consider the case when the trajectory of the object’s motion consists of sections, on each of which it moved with a constant velocity. Then we can use the following formula for average velocity:
$$v_{av}=\frac{v_{1}t_{1}+v_{2}t_{2}+v_{3}t_{3}+…}{t_{1}+t_{2}+t_{3}+…},$$
where
\(v_{av}\) is the average velocity,
\(v_{i}\) is the velocity on section \(i\),
\(t_{i}\) is the time on section \(i\).
With our Velocity Calculator you can easily compute the velocity of movement using any of the three methods described.
Related calculators
Check out our other physics calculators such as Momentum Calculator or Work Calculator.