Scalars and Vectors

Flashcards about Scalars and Vectors

Physical Measurement

Everything that can be measured can be represented by an appropriate symbol and has a unit of measurement.

Scalar

A physical quantity that has only magnitude.

Examples of Scalars

Mass, time, distance, speed, volume, wavelength, and energy.

Magnitude

The size of a vector.

Vector

A physical quantity that has magnitude and direction.

Examples of Vectors

Acceleration, displacement, force, weight, velocity, and impulse.

Types of Reference Points for Describing Direction

Horizontal (move to the left or right), Vertical (movement up or down), and Compass bearings (direction based on compass points).

Direction of a Vector

Measured at the tail.

Vector Representation

Begins at point A, ends at point B, and makes an angle with the horizontal.

Net or Resultant Vector

A net or resultant vector is a single vector that has the same effect as a combination of vectors

Addition of Vectors

Vectors are added using the tail-to-head method, where each new vector starts at the end of the previous one, and the resultant vector is drawn from the start of the first to the end of the last.

Adding Vectors in Opposite Directions

When two vectors that act in opposite directions have to be added together, the tail of the second vector starts at the head of the first vector.