Which statement correctly describes vectors and scalars?

Which statement correctly describes vectors and scalars?

• A. Vectors have magnitude and direction.
• B. Scalars have magnitude and direction.
• C. Vectors have only magnitude.
• D. Speed is a vector.

Answer: (A)

A vector is a quantity that has both magnitude (how much) and direction (which way). Scalars describe only magnitude, with no direction attached. This is why a displacement or velocity is described as a vector, because it has a size and a direction. Speed is a scalar because it tells you how fast, but not which way. So the statement that vectors have magnitude and direction accurately captures what makes vectors distinct from scalars. For example, traveling 5 meters north is a vector, while simply traveling 5 meters is a scalar.

A vector is a quantity that has both magnitude (how much) and direction (which way). Scalars describe only magnitude, with no direction attached. This is why a displacement or velocity is described as a vector, because it has a size and a direction. Speed is a scalar because it tells you how fast, but not which way. So the statement that vectors have magnitude and direction accurately captures what makes vectors distinct from scalars. For example, traveling 5 meters north is a vector, while simply traveling 5 meters is a scalar.