Question

Which of the following is vector quantity?

• A. Speed
• B. Displacement
• C. Mass
• D. Time

Answer 1

Answer: (B)

Displacement

A) Speed is a scalar quantity, having only magnitude and giving no information about direction. For example, 40 m\s is a speed, it tells us how fast an object is traveling, but nothing abut which direction the object is traveling in. The vector counterpart to speed is velocity.

B) Displacement is a vector quantity because it has both magnitude and direction.

C) Mass is a scalar quantity. Simply put, it refers to how much matter an object is made up of. It has magnitude but gives no indication of direction in any sense. The vector counterpart to mass is weight.

D) Time is a scalar quantity (as far as we are concerned at this level). It gives information about magnitude, i.e. how much time, but no information about direction.