scalars and vectors Flashcards

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1
Q

What is a scalar quantity?

A

A scalar quantity is a physical quantity that has magnitude only and no direction.

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2
Q

What is a vector quantity?

A

A vector quantity is a physical quantity that has both magnitude and direction.

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3
Q

True or False: Speed is a scalar quantity.

A

True

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4
Q

True or False: Velocity is a vector quantity.

A

True

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5
Q

Fill in the blank: The formula for calculating distance is __________.

A

Distance = Speed × Time

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6
Q

What is the difference between distance and displacement?

A

Distance is a scalar quantity representing the total path length, while displacement is a vector quantity representing the shortest path between two points.

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7
Q

What is the unit of measurement for vectors in physics?

A

The unit of measurement for vectors can vary, but common units include meters (m) for displacement, meters per second (m/s) for velocity, and newtons (N) for force.

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8
Q

What is the resultant vector?

A

The resultant vector is the vector sum of two or more vectors.

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9
Q

In vector addition, what is the head-to-tail method?

A

The head-to-tail method involves placing the tail of one vector at the head of another to determine the resultant vector.

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10
Q

True or False: When adding vectors, their magnitudes must be the same.

A

False

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11
Q

What does it mean to resolve a vector?

A

To resolve a vector means to break it down into its components, typically along the x and y axes.

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12
Q

What is the Pythagorean theorem used for in vector analysis?

A

The Pythagorean theorem is used to calculate the magnitude of a resultant vector from its perpendicular components.

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13
Q

Fill in the blank: The formula for finding the magnitude of a resultant vector R from components Ax and Ay is __________.

A

R = √(Ax² + Ay²)

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14
Q

What direction does a vector pointing east represent?

A

A vector pointing east represents motion or force directed towards the east.

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15
Q

True or False: All scalar quantities can be represented as a vector.

A

False

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16
Q

What is the significance of the angle in vector components?

A

The angle helps determine the direction of the vector components when resolving a vector.

17
Q

What is the difference between uniform motion and accelerated motion?

A

Uniform motion occurs at a constant speed in a straight line, while accelerated motion involves a change in velocity.

18
Q

What is speed?

A

Speed is the distance traveled per unit of time, a scalar quantity.

19
Q

What is the formula for average velocity?

A

Average velocity = (Final position - Initial position) / Time interval

20
Q

What is the impact of direction on velocity?

A

Velocity is affected by direction; two objects can have the same speed but different velocities if they move in different directions.

21
Q

Fill in the blank: The vector quantity that describes the rate of change of position is called __________.

A

Velocity

22
Q

What are the two components of a vector in a two-dimensional plane?

A

The two components of a vector in a two-dimensional plane are the horizontal (x) and vertical (y) components.

23
Q

What does it mean for two vectors to be orthogonal?

A

Two vectors are orthogonal if they are perpendicular to each other, meaning their dot product is zero.

24
Q

True or False: The net force acting on an object is a scalar quantity.

A

False

25
Q

What is the principle of superposition in vector addition?

A

The principle of superposition states that the resultant vector is the sum of all individual vectors acting on a point.