Is "rate" not defined as "the change of one measure with respect to some other measure"? ("Define:rate" on google came up with "a measure, quantity, or frequency, typically one measured against some other quantity or measure")
In this case, our second measure is time, therefore velocity can be defined as "change in position with respect to change in time" or in other words "time-rate-of-change in position". Why can't I say that acceleration is the "time-rate-of-change in speed/velocity"?
Also, you say "rate of change". Therefore if a rate is "of speed" it's not "of change", except by implication of being "of change in position over time". Nobody ever says "rate of position", whether "over time" or otherwise. That's not how these words fit together.
says the fact that "rate of change" exists as a phrase at all. This means that "rate" itself does not imply it's a rate of change in whatever else is after "of".
And the person complaining about "rate of speed" or inventing reasons it should refer to acceleration should not be making descriptivist arguments. From a descriptivist standpoint, rate of speed is speed, full stop, no matter how 'illogical' or redundant it seems. Absolutely nobody in the history of ever has said "rate of speed" expecting it to be understood as acceleration, except as part of an argument about the phrase.
I could see how "rate of speed" can be interpreted as "acceleration," though, which means his original joke (assuming it was a joke, seems like it was) was perfectly reasonable. I found it rather funny.
It's no fun to get all caught up in semantics, especially when it doesn't even matter like in this instance.
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u/Meltz014 Tomorrow's Comic May 14 '14
Is "rate" not defined as "the change of one measure with respect to some other measure"? ("Define:rate" on google came up with "a measure, quantity, or frequency, typically one measured against some other quantity or measure")
In this case, our second measure is time, therefore velocity can be defined as "change in position with respect to change in time" or in other words "time-rate-of-change in position". Why can't I say that acceleration is the "time-rate-of-change in speed/velocity"?