Vectors in the Plane
A scalar quantity is a quantity that has the property of size or magnitude but does not possess the property of direction. Examples include: mass, length, time, density, energy, area, volume, and temperature. The real number associated with a scalar quantity is simply referred to as a scalar.
A vector quantity is a quantity that has both properties of magnitude and direction. Examples include: velocity, wind movement, momentum, force, and displacement.
Vector quantities can be represented geometrically by a directed line segment (or arrow) where the “tail” of the arrow is the initial point and the “tip” of the arrow is the terminal point. These directed line segments are referred to as vectors.
Learn more about vectors in the plane by reading the explanation below.
Practice: Represent vectors as directed line segments and write the component forms of vectors in the following exercises.