Fundamentals of Technical Mathematics

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8.3. Vectors

Physicists and engineers have been able to use vectors in the description of nature and space. Numeric is a quantity with magnitude only (single number).

Definition of scalar

A scalar is a quantity with magnitude and no direction.

Examples of scalars are length and time. We use the term scalar to mean a real number

ℝ

Definition of vector

A vector is a quantity with both magnitude and direction.

Examples of vectors are velocity and force.

\vec{A B}

is a vector with initial point A and terminal point B and its length (or magnitude) is

‖ \vec{A B} ‖

. Thus, ...

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