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velocitymore about velocity

velocity


  3  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Velocity  \Ve*loc"i*ty\,  n.;  pl  {Velocities}.  [L.  velocitas 
  from  velox,  -ocis,  swift,  quick;  perhaps  akin  to  v?lare  to 
  fly  (see  {Volatile}):  cf  F.  v['e]locit['e].] 
  1.  Quickness  of  motion;  swiftness;  speed;  celerity;  rapidity; 
  as  the  velocity  of  wind;  the  velocity  of  a  planet  or 
  comet  in  its  orbit  or  course;  the  velocity  of  a  cannon 
  ball;  the  velocity  of  light. 
 
  Note:  In  such  phrases,  velocity  is  more  generally  used  than 
  celerity.  We  apply  celerity  to  animals;  as  a  horse  or 
  an  ostrich  runs  with  celerity;  but  bodies  moving  in  the 
  air  or  in  ethereal  space  move  with  greater  or  less 
  velocity,  not  celerity.  This  usage  is  arbitrary,  and 
  perhaps  not  universal. 
 
  2.  (Mech.)  Rate  of  motion;  the  relation  of  motion  to  time, 
  measured  by  the  number  of  units  of  space  passed  over  by  a 
  moving  body  or  point  in  a  unit  of  time,  usually  the  number 
  of  feet  passed  over  in  a  second  See  the  Note  under 
  {Speed}. 
 
  {Angular  velocity}.  See  under  {Angular}. 
 
  {Initial  velocity},  the  velocity  of  a  moving  body  at 
  starting;  especially,  the  velocity  of  a  projectile  as  it 
  leaves  the  mouth  of  a  firearm  from  which  it  is  discharged. 
 
 
  {Relative  velocity},  the  velocity  with  which  a  body 
  approaches  or  recedes  from  another  body,  whether  both  are 
  moving  or  only  one 
 
  {Uniform  velocity},  velocity  in  which  the  same  number  of 
  units  of  space  are  described  in  each  successive  unit  of 
  time. 
 
  {Variable  velocity},  velocity  in  which  the  space  described 
  varies  from  instant,  either  increasing  or  decreasing;  -- 
  in  the  former  case  called  accelerated  velocity,  in  the 
  latter,  retarded  velocity;  the  acceleration  or  retardation 
  itself  being  also  either  uniform  or  variable. 
 
  {Virtual  velocity}.  See  under  {Virtual}. 
 
  Note:  In  variable  velocity,  the  velocity,  strictly,  at  any 
  given  instant,  is  the  rate  of  motion  at  that  instant, 
  and  is  expressed  by  the  units  of  space,  which  if  the 
  velocity  at  that  instant  were  continued  uniform  during 
  a  unit  of  time,  would  be  described  in  the  unit  of  time; 
  thus  the  velocity  of  a  falling  body  at  a  given  instant 
  is  the  number  of  feet  which  if  the  motion  which  the 
  body  has  at  that  instant  were  continued  uniformly  for 
  one  second  it  would  pass  through  in  the  second  The 
  scientific  sense  of  velocity  differs  from  the  popular 
  sense  in  being  applied  to  all  rates  of  motion,  however 
  slow,  while  the  latter  implies  more  or  less  rapidity  or 
  quickness  of  motion. 
 
  Syn:  Swiftness;  celerity;  rapidity;  fleetness;  speed. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Paracentric  \Par`a*cen"tric\,  Paracentrical  \Par`a*cen"tric*al\, 
  a.  [Pref.  para-  +  centric,  -ical:  cf  F.  paracentrique.] 
  Deviating  from  circularity;  changing  the  distance  from  a 
  center. 
 
  {Paracentric  curve}  (Math.),  a  curve  having  the  property 
  that  when  its  plane  is  placed  vertically,  a  body 
  descending  along  it  by  the  force  of  gravity,  will 
  approach  to  or  recede  from  a  fixed  point  or  center,  by 
  equal  distances  in  equal  times;  --  called  also  a 
  {paracentric}. 
 
  {Paracentric  motton}  or  {velocity},  the  motion  or  velocity  of 
  a  revolving  body,  as  a  planet,  by  which  it  approaches  to 
  or  recedes  from  the  center,  without  reference  to  its 
  motion  in  space,  or  to  its  motion  as  reckoned  in  any  other 
  direction. 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  velocity 
  n  :  distance  travelled  per  unit  time  [syn:  {speed}] 




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