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Scalars and Vectors: O Level, Igcse and Gcse Revision Notes

The document discusses scalars and vectors. Scalars only require a number to be fully described, like mass or distance, while vectors have both magnitude and direction, such as velocity or force. Some scalars can also be considered vectors when direction is involved, like distance traveled or speed. Vectors must be added using graphical methods like drawing a parallelogram, while scalars can simply be added or subtracted numerically.

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242 views3 pages

Scalars and Vectors: O Level, Igcse and Gcse Revision Notes

The document discusses scalars and vectors. Scalars only require a number to be fully described, like mass or distance, while vectors have both magnitude and direction, such as velocity or force. Some scalars can also be considered vectors when direction is involved, like distance traveled or speed. Vectors must be added using graphical methods like drawing a parallelogram, while scalars can simply be added or subtracted numerically.

Uploaded by

AbdulBasitBilalSheikh
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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O level, Igcse and Gcse revision notes

Scalars and Vectors

Scalar quantities are quantities that need only a number to describe them fully.
Examples include:

mass, speed, distance, power, energy.

Vector quantities are quantities that have both number and direction. Examples
include: velocity, displacement, force, acceleration.

Some scalar quantities have commonly used vector versions. For example, we
may use either speed or velocity in conversation, and when we speak of
distance, which is a scalar, we usually mean the distance from somewhere to
somewhere else, which makes it a vector.

The distance from London to Birmingham is 101 miles, and 101 miles is a
scalar, but to travel from London to Birmingham we can't start from London
and go in any direction – we have to travel north west, and this pairing of
distance with direction defines a vector.

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O level, Igcse and Gcse revision notes

If we take 2 hours to travel from London to Birmingham, the speed is

and this is a scalar, but we must travel in the


direction north west, and this pairing of speed with direction defines a vector.

|Scalars can be added or subtracted with no complications. Masses of 3Kg and


5Kg together make a mass of 8Kg, but we have to be careful about adding
vectors. Adding a force of 3N directed North to a force of 5N directed north
east is best illustrated by drawing a triangle.

We construct a parallelogram as shown.

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O level, Igcse and Gcse revision notes

Now draw in the diagonal so that it represents the sum of the two vectors.

We can use the triangle ABC to find the resultant R using the cosine rule.

We can also find the bearing, given by the angle using the sine rule:

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