* Distance is how far something has moved.

* Velocity is how fast something is moving *and* in what direction.

* Acceleration is the rate at which an object's velocity changes.

Think of it this way:

* Distance is like the total miles you drive on a trip.

* Velocity is like your speed and direction (e.g., 60 miles per hour north).

* Acceleration is like how quickly you speed up or slow down (e.g., accelerating from 0 to 60 mph in 5 seconds).

Example:

Imagine a car driving at a constant speed of 60 mph. It's covering distance, but its velocity isn't changing, so its acceleration is zero. If the car then speeds up to 70 mph, it's accelerating because its velocity is changing.