What is the difference between an objects speed?

Answer 1

Speed is a scalar unit. That means it is only a magnitude, i.e., a number.

Velocity is a vector unit. That means it has both a magnitude and a direction, i.e., 5mph in the east.

So for speed, you can just do normal arithmetic operations on the number (add, subtract, multiply, and divide)

For velocity, you can add and subtract, but you have to keep track of the directions. 5 Up + 3 Down, assuming up is the positive direction, 5 - 3 = 2 Up.

Answer 2

Speed is a scalar quantity that represents how fast an object is moving, regardless of its direction. Velocity, on the other hand, is a vector quantity that includes both speed and direction. Thus, velocity specifies both how fast and in which direction an object is moving.