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Physics vocabulary · Measurement and Units

Vector

Meaning in physics, with examples

/ˈvektər/nounCore term

In physics, vector means: A quantity that has both a size (magnitude) and a direction, such as displacement, velocity, force or acceleration. It is often drawn as an arrow.

In Turkish: vektör, vektörel büyüklük

How it is used

Used constantly when adding forces or velocities. You add, subtract and resolve vectors and find their components and resultant. In print, vectors appear in bold (F) or with an arrow above the letter.

Example sentences

  1. Velocity is a vector, so you must give a direction as well as a magnitude.

  2. Add the two force vectors tip to tail to find the resultant.

Common collocations

  • vector quantity
  • vector sum
  • add vectors
  • resultant vector
  • unit vector
  • scalarA quantity that has size (magnitude) but no direction, such as mass, time, temperature, energy or speed. Scalars are added like ordinary numbers.
  • resolveTo split a force or another vector into two parts at right angles to each other, usually horizontal and vertical, so that each direction can be dealt with separately.
  • displacementThe straight-line distance from an object's starting point to its final position, together with its direction. It is a vector, measured in metres.
  • velocityHow fast an object moves in a particular direction. It is speed with a direction, so it is a vector, measured in metres per second (m/s).
  • net forceThe single force that has the same effect as all the forces acting on an object together. It is the vector sum of those forces and decides the object's acceleration.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Measurement and Units

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