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General Science • PhysicsMedium

Which of the following statements correctly distinguishes between scalar and vector quantities while describing motion?

A. Speed is a vector quantity because it has magnitude and direction, whereas velocity is a scalar quantity.
B. Displacement is a vector quantity because it has both magnitude and direction, whereas distance is a scalar quantity.✓ Correct Answer
C. Acceleration is a scalar quantity because it is defined as the rate of change of speed with respect to time.
D. Work done is a vector quantity because it depends on the direction of applied force and displacement.

💡 Solution & Explanation

Displacement is defined as the shortest straight-line distance from the initial to the final position of an object, making it a vector quantity since it requires both magnitude and direction. Distance is simply the total path length covered and is a scalar quantity possessing only magnitude. Speed is also a scalar quantity, while velocity is its vector counterpart. Work done is the scalar product of force and displacement vectors. Newton formulated three fundamental laws of motion.

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