Question

For College Physics. Please explain in paragraph form.

Respond to the following:

• In your own words, explain vector, scalar, speed, velocity, and linear acceleration. Also give examples.

Answer 1

• Scalar Quantities: The physical quantities which are specified with the magnitude or size alone are scalar quantities. For example, length, speed, work, mass, density, etc.
• Vector Quantities: Vector quantities refer to the physical quantities characterized by the presence of both magnitude as well as direction. For example, displacement, force, torque, momentum, acceleration, velocity, etc

Vectors:

• They possess both magnitudes as well as direction.
• They do not obey the ordinary laws of Algebra.
• These change if either the magnitude or direction change or both change.

Speed is how fast an object is moving. It is calculated by the displacement of space per a unit of time. Velocity is the rate at which an object changes position in a certain direction. It is calculated by the displacement of space per a unit of time in a certain direction. Velocity deals with direction, while speed does not.

speed is scalar while velocity is vector.mspeed is distance divided by time while velocity is displacement divided by time. we need only magnitude for speed while we need both manitude and direction for velocity.

Linear acceleration is essentially a way of measuring how fast the velocity of an object changes. The formula to calculate velocity is just distance/time. This gives how fast an object is moving at a certain time. However, speed is not always the same.

Consider a car. You stop at a red light, before accelerating and moving to a certain speed. There was a change required to go from a speed of 0 to the increased speed. This change is called acceleration. The formula for acceleration is the change in velocity/ unit of time.

Given that the formula for velocity is distance/time, the formula for acceleration can also be expressed as distance/time^2. For this reason, acceleration is measured in time^2. For example, the acceleration of gravity is 9.8 m/s^2.

Reference

https://www.toppr.com/guides/physics/motion-in-a-plane/scalars-and-vectors/