Scalars And Vectors
Among the following physical quantities encountered in motion, which one is correctly classified as a vector quantity rather than a scalar quantity?
Select the correct option:
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About This Question
- Subject
- physics
- Chapter
- kinematics
- Topic
- scalars and vectors
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Year
- 2025
Solution
Correct Answer:
Displacement
According to NCERT Class 11, Chapter 4 (Motion in a Plane), a scalar quantity is fully specified by its magnitude alone, while a vector quantity requires both a magnitude and a direction to be completely described. Displacement specifies how far and in which direction an object has moved from its starting point, so it is a vector. Speed is the magnitude of velocity without direction, making it a scalar. Distance is the total path length with no direction attached, hence a scalar. Time has only magnitude and flows in one sense for all observers, so it is also a scalar. Therefore displacement is the only vector among the choices. Plausibility check: a defining test of a vector is whether reversing direction changes the quantity meaningfully; reversing displacement gives the opposite vector, whereas reversing the sense of travel does not change speed, distance, or elapsed time, confirming displacement as the sole vector here.
This easy difficulty physics question is from the chapter kinematics, covering the topic of scalars and vectors. It appeared in the 2025 exam.
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