What is the difference between a vector and a scalar?

Question

home work help.

thank you!

Answer 1

scalar=magnitude only (ex length)

vector=magnitude +direction (displacement)

Answer 2

Scalar is something like time, or mass. When you add, it just adds up, no matter how you do it. In scalars, negative values are impossible. Vectors have direction, so if you apply in the same direction as the other force, the resultant (resulting) force will  be the maximum you can reach, conversely, vectors in opposite directions give the least value. Vectors also have magnitude, like scalars, but the addition of magnitude depends on the direction of the vectors. An example of a vector is acceleration.So you see a vector can have a negative value if a conventional direction is specified [example a body can have negative acceleration, or deceleration]

Answer 3

scalar is just an absolute value but a vector has everything.

Answer 4

A vector has both magnitude (size) and direction whereas a scalar has just magnitude (is just a length) and doesn't say in which direction it is.  

E.G. 20m NW is a vector and 20m is a scalar

*side note (something to remember):  velocity and speed are not the same thing because velocity is a vector quantity whereas speed is just scalar.

Answer 5

a vector quantity is like an arrow; it tells you both the magnitude and the direction. a scalar quantity is that which has only a magnitude.

Examples:

Vector: Force, Velocity, Acceleration, Displacement.

Scalar: Mass, Speed, Distance.

Answer 6

The difference between a scalar and vector field is not that a scalar is just one number while a vector is several numbers. The difference is in how their coordinates respond to coordinate transformations. A scalar is a coordinate whereas a vector can be described by coordinates, but it is not the collection of its coordinates.

Answer 7

The vector shows the value and the direction of (for example) a force or a movement.

The scalar shows only the value of the force or the speed of the movement.

Answer 8

Vector has magnitue as well as direction. e.g.- velocity is directed in a particular direction with a given direction, like 40m/s north of east.

Scalar has magnitude only, not direction. e.g.- speed is randomly directed, like 40m/s just known with no direction.

Answer 9

scalar has only magnitude while vector both have magnitude and direction

Answer 10

As people have said, a scalar has magnitude while a vector has both magnitude and direction. Consider the following example:

Alan moves 1 unit west and then walks (the square root of 3) units north.

The distance (scalar) he has travelled is 1+(square root of 3) units

His displacement (vector) is 2 units *bearing 330*