Which of the following quantities can be described by their magnitude and direction?

Question

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

To determine which quantities can be described by their magnitude and direction, we need to identify which ones are vectors.
Option a: energy. Energy is a scalar quantity; it has magnitude but no inherent direction in space, so it cannot be described by magnitude and direction. 
Option b: speed. Speed is also a scalar; it gives how fast an object is moving but lacks a directional component. Therefore, it is not described by magnitude and direction. 
Option c: time. Time is a scalar measure of duration and has no direction in space, so it cannot be described by magnitude and direction. 
Option d: mass. Mass is a scalar quantity representing amount of matter, with magnitude only, no direction, so this is not described by both magnitude and direction. 
Option e: acceleration. Acceleration is a vector quantity: it has a magnitude (how quickly velocity changes) and a direction (the direction of the velocity change). This makes it described by both magnitude and direction. 
In summary, only the quantity listed as e. acceleration combines a magnitude with a direction, fitting the definition of a vector quantity.

Which of the following quantities can be described by their magnitude and direction?

View Explanation

Log in for full answers

Similar Questions

A vector A has components Ax=3A_x = 3 and Ay=4A_y = 4. How can you determine its magnitude and direction?