Instantaneous Velocity Vs Velocity: Comparative Analysis

We have come across the terms velocity and instantaneous velocity. In this post, we will study instantaneous velocity vs velocity.

In physical sciences, velocity is the calculation used to measure the change in position according to the time taken. Whereas instantaneous velocity is the term used to calculate the change in S for a certain or point of time. It is measured by the slope of the V-T graph.

Now let us look into the more comparative analysis of instantaneous velocity vs velocity.

Instantaneous velocity vs velocity

The velocity calculated for a crucial period is known to be instantaneous velocity. The table below gives some fundamental differences between instantaneous velocity vs velocity.

Parameters required for comparison	Instantaneous velocity	Velocity
Meaning	The instantaneous velocity of anybody or an object under motion can be measured by considering the specified time the velocity is to be calculated.	Velocity is generally given as the quantity used to find the object’s position change, taking into account the period interval.
Denoted by	V_INST	V
Nature of the quantity	It is well known physical vector quantity.	It is well known physical vector quantity.
SI Unit	Generally indicated by length/time, i.e., m/s	Generally indicated by length/time, i.e., m/s
Terms required in the calculation	It requires the limit of average velocity, or we can even use position change and time.	It requires only two essential terms that are displacement change and time.
Formula	V = V_INST = ds/dt Where, s = position/ displacement change T = particular time	V = s/t Where, s = position/ displacement change T = time
Features	It represents the object’s velocity at a specified time and the direction of the path traveled by that object.	It represents the object’s velocity and direction of the path traveled by that object.
Derivative of what terms	It is considered the derivative of displacement and specified time or limit of V_avg.	It is considered the derivative of a slight change in particle displacement and time.
Applications	To find the velocity at any time.	To know the fastness of the body with time.
Relation between each other	Instantaneous velocity is almost similar to V only difference is it is calculated at the crucial period.	Velocity is the general method to find the position change with time.
Examples	A boy skating on the street takes a rest for a certain period.	A vehicle moves at the same velocity from beginning to end till it reaches its destination.

Therefore, the points mentioned above are the critical differences of instantaneous velocity vs velocity.

Velocity: Insights and Facts

Velocity is the primary quantity used in mechanics to know the speediness of the object.

It is in general defined as the measure of changes that a position of the body undergoes in motion taking into consideration the time interval. It is even considered the derivative of a particle’s position/displacement/distance with a period.
It signifies both direction of route and the value of the magnitude of a particle under motion. It can be considered to be a vector.
It is measured in terms of length indicated by meter and time by t that is m/s.

Now let us know the essential insights of instantaneous velocity.

Instantaneous Velocity: Facts

Instantaneous velocity is the primary term quantity used in physics to measure the speediness of the body at a required interval.

It is in general defined as the measure of a limit of changes that a position of the body undergoes in motion taking into consideration the specific time interval.
It is even considered the limit of the average velocity, which is the derivative of the total change in position/displacement/distance of a particle with a total period.
It signifies both direction of route and the value of the magnitude of a particle under motion. It can be considered to be a physical vector quantity.
It is measured in terms of length indicated by meter and time by t that is m/s.

Now, let’s compare instantaneous velocity vs velocity that is the post’s primary focus.

Mention the primary difference between velocity and speed?

If we come across the nature of speed and velocity, we can quickly know their fundamental differences.

It is proved that speed is a physical scalar as it mentions only the rate of fastness of a particle in movement, i.e., it indicates magnitude. In contrast, velocity is proved as a physical vector that signifies the fastness and direction of the body’s route. It is the simple essential difference between speed and velocity.

Now let us look into the difference between V_inst and speed.

Mention the primary difference between instantaneous velocity and speed?

As we saw above similarly, If we come across the nature of speed and then V_inst, we can quickly know their fundamental differences.

It is proved from the theories that speed is a physical scalar as it mentions only the rate of quickness that a particle posses when it is under movement, i.e., it indicates magnitude. Whereas V is the value measured at a minimal period interval, and even the value obtained will be less when it is measured only at the required time, as it specifies both magnitude value and pathway, it is a vector.

So, these are some primary differences between speed and instantaneous velocity.

Mention the fundamental difference between average velocity and velocity?

The direct comparison of average velocity and velocity is given below.

Velocity and average velocities are the same. Velocity, in general, is specified as the position change concerning the period interval.
In contrast, average velocity is calculated or measured as the average taken to final and initial velocities of the particle for total motion with total time.
Both have the same SI unit and dimensions.

Now it’s time to know the nature of instantaneous velocity vs velocity.

Nature of velocity

The nature of velocity is nothing but to tell what type of physical quantity it belongs to and to describe its features.

As we learned above in the comparison between instantaneous velocity vs velocity, it is a physical vector quantity that includes both terms magnitude that gives the value of speediness of the particle under motion and even denotes the path through which the particle travels.
It is a primary quantity widely used in mechanics, an important branch of physical sciences.
It is calculated in terms of the distance of a particle’s absolute path or specific path with the time taken to reach the final point (m/s).

We now know about the nature of velocity to move on to the other aspect of this article: instantaneous velocity.

Nature of instantaneous velocity

Similarly, the nature of instantaneous velocity is nothing but to tell what type of physical quantity it belongs to and to describe its features.

As mentioned above, like velocity, even V_inst is a physical vector quantity that includes both terms magnitude and gives the value of speediness of certain things under motion and even denotes the path through which the particle travels.
It is a primary quantity widely used in mechanics, an important branch of physical sciences, to measure the precise value of velocity.
It is calculated in terms of the limit of a distance of the full path or specific path of a particle, with the time taken to reach a point will be almost equal to zero.

We learned about the nature of both instantaneous velocities vs velocity; now, let us study the available examples of velocity that can be seen around us.

Examples of instantaneous velocity vs velocity

There is a movement for each action. There will be some amount of velocity for every movement associated with it. So the points shown below are some general examples of velocity.

Playing with a tire
Race between two vehicles
Using a keypad
Reaching school

Playing with a tire

If you ever played with a car tire during your childhood, you must know how to move it simultaneously while running. In this example, you can measure the velocity by taking both the quantities displacement and time of the tire. If you want to know the velocity at some specific position and time and you must measure V_inst

Race between two vehicles

One of the common examples of instantaneous velocity vs velocity is while going on a trip in a big vehicle. Assume a race has been begun between the two vehicles. You want your vehicle to move forward than the other so that you can win the game. There will be fluctuation in velocity, position, and time of the vehicle’s movement in this case. As said above, you can calculate both velocity and instantaneous velocity according to your necessities.

Using a keypad

When an individual starts to type on a keypad, typing a long paragraph’s overall speed or velocity can be measured using the velocity formula. If you want to find the velocity of typing for any particular sentence with time, you can take into account instantaneous velocity.

Reaching school

Assume you are late to your school/office, and you start to walk fast initially and later begin to run. Here the position change, speed, and time of an individual can be found using the velocity formula and, at some particular point, can be measured using V_inst.

Therefore, the insights mentioned above are the direct and prominent comparison of instantaneous velocity vs velocity.

Frequently Asked Questions | FAQs

How are instantaneous velocity and speed related to one another?

Usually, instantaneous speed and V_inst are interrelated with one another.

In physical science, the term speed refers to the quickness or the rate of motion in which the body moves. In contrast, the V_inst represents the change of position for a particular or required second during the complete travel taken with a total period. Here S and V have the same value when we calculate using a formula, but these two only indicate direction.

What is the application of instantaneous velocity in real life?

Every day every second, we will be having a different kind of movement; a human cannot stay idle.

Sometimes it becomes necessary to measure how fast or quick the movement has occurred. For this reason, we can use velocity and average velocity. But this movement can have some irregularities that cannot be found out using these standard measures. Therefore, for this purpose, V_inst came into existence to find the tiny, precise details of the velocity of a particle.

Why does it sometimes become difficult to measure the instantaneous velocity?

As instantaneous velocity will be a small value, it won’t be easy sometimes to measure it.

Al the other types of velocity will be easy to calculate as they all have a very simple formula od d/t. But whereas in measuring the instantaneous velocity, we have to consider the value of the limit and then consider the time and then try to solve it using the calculus, which requires time. So compared to the measure of different velocities, V_inst is challenging to calculate.

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Raghavi Acharya

I am Raghavi Acharya, I have completed my post-graduation in physics with a specialization in the field of condensed matter physics. I have always considered Physics to be a captivating area of study and I enjoy exploring the various fields of this subject. In my free time, I engage myself in digital art. My articles are aimed towards delivering the concepts of physics in a very simplified manner to the readers.