Scalars and Vectors Many things measured in science have only the property of “magnitude” For example, the kinetic energy of a baseball These things are called “scalars” Other things, particularly in physics, have – in addition to the property of “magnitude” – the property of “direction” For example, the force of a bat hitting a baseball These things are called “vectors”

Visualizing Vectors In a diagram or drawing, a vector is represented as an arrow with a length (the magnitude) and an orientation (the direction) Two or more vectors can be combined through “vector addition” This can be done “graphically” by connecting the “tail” of each new vector-arrow to the “tip” of the previous vector-arrow

Resultant Vectors Physics problems often make use of a system of right-angle vectors – a vector in the x-direction and another in y-direction based on some frame of reference For example, trip from Charlotte to Concord could be broken into a north-south distance and an east-west distance The direct vector (called the resultant vector) can be found mathematically using the Pythagorean Theorem and trigonometry