Scalar vs. Vector

Front

What is a scalar quantity?

Back

A scalar quantity is a physical quantity that has only magnitude and no direction. Examples include mass, temperature, and time.

Front

What is a vector quantity?

Back

A vector quantity is a physical quantity that has both magnitude and direction. Examples include force, velocity, and displacement.

Front

Is weight a scalar or vector quantity?

Back

Weight is a vector quantity because it has both magnitude (the amount of weight) and direction (the direction in which it acts, usually downwards).

Front

Is wind speed a scalar or vector quantity?

Back

Wind speed is a scalar quantity because it only has magnitude (e.g., 20 mph) and does not specify direction.

Front

What does it mean when we say a rocket travels 1000 kilometers/second clockwise around the sun?

Back

This describes a vector quantity because it includes both the speed (magnitude) and the direction (clockwise around the sun).

Front

Is time a scalar or vector quantity?

Back

Time is a scalar quantity because it only has magnitude (e.g., 5 seconds) and no direction.

Front

What is the difference between speed and velocity?

Back

Speed is a scalar quantity that refers to how fast an object is moving, while velocity is a vector quantity that includes both speed and direction.

Front

If an object moves 30 m/sec to the east, what type of quantity is this?

Back

This is a vector quantity because it includes both magnitude (30 m/sec) and direction (east).

Front

Can a quantity be both scalar and vector?

Back

No, a quantity is either scalar or vector based on whether it has direction or not.

Front

Give an example of a scalar quantity in everyday life.

Back

Examples of scalar quantities include temperature (e.g., 25 degrees Celsius) and distance (e.g., 10 kilometers).