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Q107 (IAS/1997) Science & Technology › Basic Science (Physics, Chemistry, Biology) › Basic mechanics concepts Answer Verified

Which one of the following is a vector quantity ?

Result
Your answer: —  Â·  Correct: A
Explanation

A vector quantity has both magnitude and direction; scalars have only magnitude. Momentum is defined as mass times velocity, and because velocity is directional, momentum also carries direction and is therefore a vector quantity. By contrast, pressure is defined as force per unit area and is treated as a scalar field (it has magnitude at a point but no associated direction) [1]. Similarly, energy and work are scalar quantities: they have magnitude but no intrinsic direction and are listed as scalars in standard classifications [1]. Hence among the options given, momentum is the vector quantity.

Sources

  1. [2] Science ,Class VIII . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 6: Pressure, Winds, Storms, and Cyclones > Snapshots > p. 94
  2. [1] https://www.grc.nasa.gov/www/k-12/airplane/vectors.html
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