SCALARS AND VECTORS -BookerAgency

 SCALARS AND VECTORS

All physical quantities are divided into two

types on the bases of information required to describe

them completely.

Scalars

Vectors

Scalars

There are certain physical quantities that can be described through their magnitude and a suitable unit.

This information is enough to describe them,

 For example

 the mass of a watermelon is 3kg, where 3 is the magnitude and kg is a suitable unit such quantities are called scalar quantities. Thus we can define scalar

The physical quantities that have magnitude and a suitable unit are called scalar quantities.

VECTER

⦁ Some physical quantities need direction along with their magnitude and unit for their complete description. 

For example,

 a bus traveling with a velocity of 50ms in the direction of North. The vector quantities can be defined as:

The physical quantities which are completely

specified by magnitude with suitable unit and

particular direction are called as “Vector” quantities.

⦁ Force 

⦁ acceleration 

⦁ momentum

⦁ torque and

⦁ magnetic field are the examples of vector quantities 

Representation of vector:

⦁ Vector diagram is an easy way to represent a vector quantity.

⦁ The directed line segment can be used to represent a vector. 

⦁ The length of the line segment gives the magnitude of the vector and arrow head gives its direction.