Over view of the concept
There are just two quantities in the physical concepts which can either be numerical or otherwise
Take a look at this have you heard some one saying 12°C in the north-eastern direction have you inferred it and deduced that it doesn't sound logical to the hearing and reasoning.
Or this! 5kM/hr.
You would agree with me that in scientific facts and experimentations, there can never be 12°C in the north-eastern direction reason being that such value doesn't have any basic and intelligible sense to outlay.
On the other hand, 5kM/hr can be seen as a speed traveled with reference to distance I. E an extent of length covered but as to think of the direction of the speed that cannot be detected because it wasn't stated we only know of how long the speed was covered but as to where it covered we have no idea. But let's look at this ; 5kM East of north
This means that a speed was covered with respect to its specified direction in this case distance is regardless while considering displacement and velocity as it is basically said.
You can't talk of velocity without a specified or a unique direction(displacement) that is to say that a displacement is a discerned distance.
With these clues, functioning as an eye-opener we can go further to what we stand to inculcate.
- SCALARS
Scalars as we all know is a physical quantity that has only magnitude without direction. They only have numerical values but no direction is observed of their features they can just state the values they imply.
Examples of scalars are: - Speed
- Mass
- Distance
- Area
- Ampere
- Temperature
- Electric current
- E. T. C
- Vectors
Vectors are physical concepts that has both magnitude and direction they are known by their arrows which indicate the point at which a quantity is measured or stated. You can't just talk about vectors with no inclusion of their direction of travel which is always denoted by their arrows.
There are three dimensional components of vectors ; the horizontal components, the vertical components and the coordinates that is the Y and X axis - Examples of Vectors are
- acceleration
- velocity
- Displacement
- Potential difference
- E. T. C