What reasons make speed a scalar quantity? - ProProfs Discuss
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What reasons make speed a scalar quantity?

Asked by J. Lautner, Last updated: Nov 03, 2024

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J. Harty

J. Harty

Have keen interest in writing, traveller by heart.

J. Harty
J. Harty, Writer, M.A, Chula Vista

Answered Sep 26, 2019

Speed is a scalar quantity because it has only magnitude but no direction. Speed can only be determined by its magnitude. When a car traveled a total distance of 200 meters in 50 seconds, the speed of the car is calculated to be 4 m/s. From this, we only have the magnitude for the speed, but there is no information whether the car moved from South to North.

And that's why the speedometer of a car will not display the direction you are moving to, but it will only display your speed. Speed is a scalar quantity because it is gotten from two scalar quantities. Distance is a scalar quantity; time is also a scalar. But when you talk of velocity, it has both magnitude and direction. Velocity is not only measuring your speed but also the direction you are moving to. Velocity is also gotten displacement, and displacement is a vector quantity

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C. Block

C. Block

Find happiness in writing new things.

C. Block
C. Block, English Professor, M.A, Ph.D, Buffalo

Answered Feb 20, 2019

A scalar quantity is a measurement of amount or progression, which speed is a relative progression of velocity in a given moment in time. Likewise, the velocity calculated as a linear format constitutes as the progression in a given direction. In other words, as time and speed increase over time without deviation, then it measures overall distance traveled as a constant rate as one can only progress in a single direction as a commonality.

A scalar quantity is a measurement of amount or progression, which speed is a relative progression


For instance, the speed of a car is relative to its velocity as a constant within a given measurement of time (i.e., If a vehicle progresses at a constant rate of ten miles per hour, then it travels ten miles following the completion of an hour). Moreover, another typical example is a is the measurement of speed and time of a falling object (as it relates to gravity) at a constant increase of speed until it reaches terminal velocity (fastest speed relative to its constant falling).

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