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Vectors, Scalars, & Displacement definitions

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  • Magnitude
    The size or quantity of a measurement, often represented by a number and units, without direction.
  • Vector
    A measurement that includes both magnitude and direction, such as force or velocity.
  • Scalar
    A measurement that includes only magnitude, without direction, such as mass or temperature.
  • Displacement
    The vector quantity representing the change in position, calculated as final position minus initial position.
  • Distance
    The scalar quantity representing the total length traveled, regardless of direction.
  • Velocity
    The vector version of speed, indicating how fast and in which direction an object moves.
  • Speed
    The scalar measurement of how fast an object is moving, without regard to direction.
  • Force
    A vector quantity that represents a push or pull on an object, with both magnitude and direction.
  • Position
    The location of an object on a number line, often represented by symbols like x or x naught.
  • Direction
    The line or path along which something moves, which is a component of vector quantities.
  • Negative Sign
    In physics, indicates direction, such as left or backward, in vector quantities.
  • Positive Sign
    In physics, indicates direction, such as right or forward, in vector quantities.
  • Initial Position
    The starting point of an object, often denoted as x naught in physics.
  • Final Position
    The ending point of an object, often denoted as x in physics.
  • Number Line
    A visual representation used to illustrate position and displacement in physics.