Is there any purpose to redeclaring JavaScript variables?

Question

I am new to JavaScript.

Answer 1

I recently wrote code like:

var obj1 = get_an_object();
var v = obj1.get_velocity();
v += changes_in_velocity();
obj1.set_velocity(v);

var obj2 = get_an_object();
var v = obj2.get_velocity();
v += changes_in_velocity();
obj2.set_velocity(v);

(The actual code was more complicated and less repetitive)

So far as the browser is concerned, the second var v statement was redundant and pointless. To me, it served two purposes. It said to forget everything I knew about the old v, because this was a new usage. And it meant I could re-order the code, or comment out the first half, without breaking things.