Vectors and Scalars

You might also like

Download as doc, pdf, or txt
Download as doc, pdf, or txt
You are on page 1of 1

Vectors and scalars

Question: I want to know about different types of vectors and scalars.


When they say vector has a direction does it mean a physical quantity that moves like, work
done, magnetic field, current etc.?

Scalars and vectors


The quantities measured in Physics may be divided into two groups:
(a) scalars - these are quantities that have magnitude (size) only.
Examples of scalars are length, speed, mass, density, energy, power, temperature, charge,
potential difference
(b) vectors - these are quantities that have direction as well as magnitude.
Examples of vectors are displacement, force, torque, velocity, acceleration, momentum,
electric current, magnetic flux density, electric field
Scalars may be added together by simple arithmetic but when two or more vectors are added
together their direction must be taken into account as well.
A vector may be represented by a line, the length of the line being the magnitude of the
vector and the direction of the line the direction of the vector.
When 'they' say that a vector has a direction it means that either it is moving in a certain
direction (as in a velocity) or that it could produce movement in a certain direction (as in a
force or a magnetic field).

You might also like