A vector is a quantity that has both a magnitude
and a direction.
An Example: If I told you
that I drove 10 miles from the center of town today but did not tell you
the direction then you would not know where I ended up. However,
if I told you that I drove 10 miles due East from the center of town
then you would have a good idea of where I ended up. This is a
simple example of a quantity that is best expressed as a vector because
there is both a magnitude (a distance) and a direction (East).
Another Example: If I push
a box sitting on the floor then I am exerting a force on that box.
The magnitude of the force tells me once piece of the puzzle but in
order to know where the box will be after I push it, I need to know the
direction as well as the magnitude. Thus, forces are best
expressed as vectors.
A scalar is a quantity that can be expressed as a
magnitude only. Some examples are:
- Your weight
- The speed of a car
None
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