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1. What are 2 differences between a scalar and a vector?

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1. What are 2 differences between a scalar and a vector?

1. What are 2 differences between a scalar and a vector?

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ScarlettVeteran · Tutor for 9 years

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The two differences between a scalar and a vector are: 1) Scalars only have magnitude, while vectors have both magnitude and direction. 2) Scalars use standard algebraic rules for operations, while vectors use vector algebra rules that consider direction.

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## Step 1: Understanding Scalars and Vectors<br />Scalars and vectors are two types of physical quantities used in physics and mathematics. The primary difference between them lies in the fact that scalars only have magnitude, while vectors have both magnitude and direction.<br /><br />## Step 2: Identifying Differences<br />There are two main differences between scalars and vectors. <br /><br />### The first difference is that scalars only have magnitude, while vectors have both magnitude and direction. <br />For example, distance is a scalar quantity because it only involves the magnitude of how far an object has traveled. On the other hand, displacement is a vector quantity because it involves both the magnitude of how far an object has traveled and the direction in which the object moved.<br /><br />### The second difference is in their mathematical operations. <br />When adding or subtracting scalars, we use the standard rules of algebra. However, when adding or subtracting vectors, we use the rules of vector algebra, which take into account the direction of the vectors.
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