Page 17 - eEISBN FINALIZE
P. 17
CHAPTER 2
FORCE VECTOR
2.1 SCALAR AND VECTOR
A study of motion will involve the introduction of a variety of quantities that are used to describe
the physical world. Examples of such quantities include distance, displacement, speed, velocity,
acceleration, force, mass, momentum, energy, work, power, etc. All these quantities can by divided
into two categories - vectors and scalars.
A vector quantity is a quantity that is fully described by both magnitude and direction. On the other
hand, a scalar quantity is a quantity that is fully described by its magnitude. The emphasis of this
unit is to understand some fundamentals about vectors and to apply the fundamentals in order to
understand motion and forces that occur in two dimensions.
Figure 2.1: Physical Quantities
2.1.1 DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN SCALARS AND VECTOR
The mathematical quantities that are used to describe the motion of objects can be divided into
two categories. The quantity is either a vector or a scalar. These two categories can be
distinguished from one another by their distinct definitions:
8
