Vector Quantities
A vector quantity is a physical quantity that has both magnitude and direction.
In other words, a vector quantity is described by a number, a unit, and a direction.
For example, if a car is traveling at a velocity of 50 km/h towards the east, its velocity can be represented as a vector with an arrow pointing to the right (east) and a length of 50 km/h.
Examples of Vector Quantities
Examples of vector quantities include velocity, acceleration, force, displacement, and momentum. These quantities are commonly represented graphically using arrows to show both their direction and magnitude.
There are countless examples of vector quantities in daily life. The list of some of them is down below!
- Force
- Pressure
- Thrust
- Electric Field
- Polarization
- Weight
Vector quantities can be added, subtracted, multiplied, and divided using vector algebra. For example, if a force of 10 N is applied to an object in the north direction, and a force of 5 N is applied in the east direction, the resultant force can be calculated using vector addition as a force of √125 N towards the northeast direction.
Vector quantities are used in many fields of science and engineering, such as mechanics, electromagnetism, fluid dynamics, and quantum mechanics. They are essential for describing the behavior of physical systems and making predictions about their future states.
Scalar and Vector
Scalar and Vector Quantities are used to describe the motion of an object. Scalar Quantities are defined as physical quantities that have magnitude or size only. For example, distance, speed, mass, density, etc.
However, vector quantities are those physical quantities that have both magnitude and direction like displacement, velocity, acceleration, force, etc. It should be noted that when a vector quantity changes its magnitude and direction also change similarly, when a scalar quantity changes, only its magnitude changes.
Table of Content
- Scalar Quantities Definition
- Vector Quantities
- Vector Notation
- Scalar and Vector Quantity
- Equality of Vectors
- Multiplication of Vectors with Scalar
- Addition of Vectors
- Triangle Law of Vector Addition
- Parallelogram Law of Vector Addition
- Examples on Scalar and Vector
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