What term is used for speed in a given direction?

The term used for speed in a given direction is velocity. Velocity is a vector quantity, which means it has both magnitude (how fast something is moving) and direction (the path along which it moves). For instance, if a car is traveling north at 60 kilometers per hour, its velocity is specifically described as 60 kilometers per hour to the north. This directional component distinguishes velocity from speed, which is a scalar quantity that only measures how fast an object is moving without regard to its direction. Understanding this distinction is key in physics, especially when analyzing motion, as direction plays a crucial role in determining the overall motion of an object.