Scalars and Vectors in Physics

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Lesson Summary:
In this lesson, you'll learn about the very important topic of Scalars and Vectors in physics.  These are concepts that every student must master because all physics classes begin with a discussion of these topics.

Essentially, a scalar represents a quantity that has no direction associated with it, such as temperature.   A vector represents a quantity that has magnitude and a direction, such as the velocity of a train or rocket.

We explore these concepts in this lesson and give concrete examples so that the student has a good understanding of what a scalar is in comparison to a vector quantity.