Enter a distance and time to calculate velocity using the formula v = d / t. Choose your preferred units for both distance (meters, kilometers, miles, feet) and time (seconds, minutes, hours), and the calculator returns your velocity along with a unit-converted summary. You can also compute change in velocity from acceleration and time using Δv = a × t.
Velocity (m/s)
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Velocity (km/h)
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Velocity (mph)
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Velocity (ft/s)
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Distance (m)
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Time (s)
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Velocity is a vector quantity that describes how fast an object moves in a specific direction, whereas speed is a scalar quantity that only measures how fast an object moves regardless of direction. For example, 60 km/h north is a velocity, while 60 km/h alone is a speed. In everyday calculators, the magnitude of velocity equals speed.
The fundamental formula is v = d / t, where v is velocity, d is distance, and t is time. For example, if an object travels 500 meters in 60 seconds, its velocity is 500 / 60 ≈ 8.33 m/s. Make sure your distance and time units are consistent when calculating.
Yes, velocity can be negative. A negative velocity simply means the object is moving in the opposite direction to the defined positive direction. For instance, if moving rightward is positive, then moving leftward at 5 m/s would be −5 m/s. Speed, however, is always non-negative.
Instantaneous velocity is the velocity of an object at a specific moment in time. It is calculated as the derivative of position with respect to time (v = dx/dt). In practice, you can estimate it by taking a very small time interval around the moment of interest and computing Δd / Δt.
Using kinematic equations, if you know acceleration (a) and time (t), you can find final velocity with vf = vi + a·t. If you know distance, initial velocity, and acceleration, use vf² = vi² + 2·a·d. Rearranging these equations lets you solve for either initial or final velocity depending on which values are known.
The change in velocity (Δv) equals acceleration multiplied by the time interval: Δv = a × t. This assumes constant acceleration. For example, an object accelerating at 9.8 m/s² for 5 seconds undergoes a velocity change of 49 m/s.
Terminal velocity is the maximum constant speed a freely falling object eventually reaches when the drag force from air resistance equals the gravitational force acting on it. At terminal velocity, net acceleration is zero. For a typical skydiver, this is approximately 53 m/s (190 km/h) in a belly-to-earth position.
Escape velocity is the minimum speed an object needs to break free from a gravitational field without further propulsion. For Earth, escape velocity is approximately 11,186 m/s (about 40,270 km/h or 25,020 mph). It is calculated using v = √(2GM/r), where G is the gravitational constant, M is the planet's mass, and r is its radius.