Scalar quantities
Definition
Scalar quantities are physical quantities that have magnitude but no direction. They can be described by a single value or number.
Analogy
Imagine you're at a buffet and you want to know how much food you've eaten. The total amount of food on your plate is a scalar quantity because it only tells you the magnitude (amount) of food, not the direction in which you ate it.
Related terms
Vector quantities: Physical quantities that have both magnitude and direction.
Distance: The scalar quantity that represents the length of the path traveled by an object.
Speed: A scalar quantity that measures how fast an object is moving.
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