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GCSE Combined Science · key term
A quantity with magnitude only, and no direction.
Used by AQA and Edexcel
Specification 6.5.4.1.3 · Paper 6
Revise: VelocityA scalar has magnitude only. Speed is a scalar because it describes how fast an object moves without giving a direction. A vector has both magnitude and direction, so velocity is a vector.
Paper 5, Paper 6
A physical quantity that has magnitude but no specific direction.
Revise: Vectors and scalarsA scalar quantity has magnitude but no specific direction. A vector quantity has both magnitude and a specific direction. Both types describe measurable sizes; the difference is whether direction is part of the quantity itself.
A quantity with magnitude only, such as mass, distance or speed.
When explaining the difference, state that both scalars and vectors have magnitude, but only vectors have a specific direction.
Weight is a force measured in newtons (N); mass is a scalar measured in kilograms (kg).
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