Michael S.

Vego 201910349

PHYSICS 21 CONCEPTUAL QUESTIONS

Module 2: SCALARS AND

VECTORS

1. One sometimes speaks of the “direction of time”, evolving from past to future. Does this
mean that time is a vector quantity? Explain your reasoning.

Generally speaking, time is considered as a scalar quantity since it is not a property

that implies any direction. To qualify as a vector, it must have magnitude and direction. In
this sense, when we speak of time intervals, these can qualify as vector quantities.

2. Can you find a vector quantity that has a magnitude of zero, but components that are
different from zero? Explain.

You cannot find a vector quantity that has a magnitude of zero, but components that
are different from zero since the sum of two vectors only equals zero if the two vectors’
magnitudes are equal.