What is a vector?

A quantity may be a scalar (just a magnitude, just a number) or a vector, with magnitude and direction. For example, speed is a measure of how fast something is going, but velocity is a measure of how fast something is going AND the direction it is moving in. Vectors are often represented by arrows, with the size of the arrow representing the magnitude, and the direction the arrowhead is pointing representing the vector's direction.
Vectors may be written mathematically, as the product of their magnitude and unit vector (the unit vector just contains the information about the direction a vector is pointing in).e.g.
v = v*v^Vector = Magnitude * Unit vector
(The unit vector is often written like a normal vector with a "hat" pointing upwards on top of it, this is the best I could do.)

PC

Related Physics A Level answers

All answers ▸

How might you use sound waves to smash a glass? What are other examples of resonance in everyday life?


Explain why excited atoms only emit certain frequencies of radiation after an electron collides with the atom


How should I structure my experiment report?


An electron is moving with speed 2x10^5ms-1 through a magnetic field of strength 0.5T. If the electrons velocity is perpendicular to the direction of the magnetic field, what is the magnitude of the force felt by the electron?