Which statement gives the defining property of a vector quantity?
AIt has a magnitude but never a sign
BIt has both magnitude and direction
CIt has a magnitude fixed by a standard
DIt has a size that changes with position
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: B. It has both magnitude and direction
1. A vector is any quantity with both magnitude and direction.
2. A velocity of 90 km/h east and a force of 500 newtons straight down are vectors.
3. A quantity with magnitude but no direction is a scalar instead.
4. Being fixed by a standard or varying with position says nothing about direction.
_Source: OpenStax College Physics (CC BY 4.0), Ch 2 "Kinematics", section 2.2 Vectors, Scalars, and Coordinate Systems_
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