What is velocity?

• A. Rate at which an object changes position
• B. The speed of an object in a given direction
• C. The distance traveled per unit time
• D. The rate of energy change

Answer: (A)

Velocity describes how position changes over time, including the direction of that change. In other words, it’s the rate at which an object's position changes as time passes. This phrasing captures both how fast the object is moving and where it’s headed, which is what velocity conveys.

Speed, by contrast, tells you only how fast the object is moving, without direction. Distance traveled per unit time is a measure of speed, not velocity. The rate of energy change refers to how quickly energy is transferred or transformed, not to motion through space. So the statement that velocity is the rate at which an object changes position best captures this concept.