So the 60 km/hr means only the magnitude or value. So the quantities which have only magnitudes or values are called scalars.

But the 60 km/hr in north direction means the quantity has value as well as direction in it. These quantities are called vector quantities.

Therefore the more technical definitions will be:

Scalar quantity: A scalar quantity has magnitude only. Thus mass, length, volume, electric potential and energy are scalars.

Vector quantity: A vector quantity has both magnitude and direction.

For example force, velocity, the electric field intensity and displacement are examples of vectors.

Graphically, the vector A is represented by a line whose length is equal to the magnitude of A, denoted by |A| and with an arrowhead at the end of the line pointing towards the direction of A.

Equality of Vectors: Two vectors A and B are equal if and only if their magnitude as well as directions is the same.

Addition and Subtraction of Vectors: Two vectors are added by using parallelogram law. Two vectors represented by the sides of a parallelogram, the sum represents the bigger diagonal.

Addition of two vectors:

Vector addition is commutative that is A + B = B + A.

Subtraction of vectors:

A – B = A + (-B)

A – B is also diagonal of the parallelogram between the tip of A to the tip of B.

Multiplication of a vector by a scalar: Multiplication of a vector by a scalar changes the magnitude of the vector but the direction remains the same. A vector A multiplied by a scalar K will become KA.

This is the difference between scalar and vector. You will also learn the dot or scalar product and cross or vector products in coming articles.

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