Difference between revisions of "Scalar quantity"
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(Clarified definition; added example: real numbers) |
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| − | A ''scalar quantity'' is a measurement that does not contain directional information,<ref>Wile, Dr. Jay L. ''Exploring Creation With Physical Science''. Apologia Educational Ministries, Inc. 1999, 2000</ref> | + | A ''scalar quantity'' is a measurement that does not contain directional information,<ref>Wile, Dr. Jay L. ''Exploring Creation With Physical Science''. Apologia Educational Ministries, Inc. 1999, 2000</ref> but only magnitude.<ref>Stewart, James. ''Calculus: Early Transcendentals''. Brooks/Cole, 2008</ref> It is opposed to a [[vector quantity]], which contains both magnitude and direction. |
Every [[real number]] is a scalar, because it contains only magnitude. Scalar quantities also exist in the real world, such as temperature. (Note, however, that the change in temperature is a vector.) | Every [[real number]] is a scalar, because it contains only magnitude. Scalar quantities also exist in the real world, such as temperature. (Note, however, that the change in temperature is a vector.) | ||
Latest revision as of 18:58, July 13, 2016
A scalar quantity is a measurement that does not contain directional information,[1] but only magnitude.[2] It is opposed to a vector quantity, which contains both magnitude and direction.
Every real number is a scalar, because it contains only magnitude. Scalar quantities also exist in the real world, such as temperature. (Note, however, that the change in temperature is a vector.)