Difference between scalar and vector quantity
In physics there are scalar quantities and vector quantities
- Scalar quantities
Scalar quantities only have magnitude and can be represented by real numbers also called scalars. An example of a vector quantity is temperature. - Vector quantities
Vector quantities have both magnitude and direction. These quantities are represented by vectors. An example of a vector quantity is force. In space up to three dimensions, vectors are represented by arrows having a certain length, direction and emanating from some given reference point O. The reference point of the vector is the origin (O) of the axes in R2 or R3 space.