Scalar & Vector

• Magnitude


  Size of a physical quantity
• Arrows are used to represent vectors, with length indicating magnitude and direction
• Negative vectors can be used to represent backward directions
• Distance doesn't give any idea of direction, making it a scalar quantity
• Vector quantities

  • Velocity
  • Displacement
  • Acceleration
  • Force
  • Momentum
• Displacement gives both magnitude and direction, making it a vector quantity
• Scalar quantities


  • Distance
  • Mass
  • Temperature
  • Time
• Representation of vectors

  Arrows with length indicating magnitude and direction
• Scalar and vector quantities

  1. Scalars are physical quantities that only have a magnitude but no direction

  2. Vectors have both a magnitude and a direction
• If two arrows are present, one can be labeled as a negative vector to represent a backward direction