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Attempts 127

Which describes a vector quantity?

  1. A
    5 miles per hour due southwest
  2. B
    5 miles per hour
  3. C
    5 miles
  4. D
    None of the above

Topic Flashcards

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Question

What two pieces of information are required to define a vector quantity?

Answer

A magnitude (size or amount) and a direction.

Question

From the options given, which one is a vector and what is its name (e.g., velocity, force)?

Answer

"5 miles per hour due southwest" is the vector. It specifically describes velocity.

Question

What is the name for a physical quantity that has only magnitude and no direction? Give an example from the options.

Answer

A scalar quantity. Examples from the options are "5 miles per hour" (speed) and "5 miles" (distance).

Question

How would you graphically represent the vector "5 miles per hour due southwest"?

Answer

Draw an arrow. The length of the arrow represents the magnitude (5 mph), scaled appropriately. The direction of the arrow points to the southwest.

Question

Two forces act on an object: 3 N north and 4 N east. Is the total force simply 7 N? Why or why not?

Answer

No. Because forces are vectors, you cannot simply add the magnitudes. You must consider their directions and use vector addition (like the parallelogram rule or Pythagorean theorem) to find the resultant.

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