Question

Distance is a vector quantity. State whether true or false.
$A.$ True
$B.$ False

Answer 1

Hint: Here we will proceed by explaining the concept of vector quantity. Then by explaining the concept of distance we can find out whether the given statement is true or false.

Complete step-by-step answer:

Vector Quantity – Those physical quantities which possess both magnitude as well as direction. For example, force, torque, momentum, acceleration, displacement ,velocity, etc are vector quantities.

Scalar Quantity – Those physical quantities which possess only magnitude are scalar quantities. For example, length, speed, work, mass, density, etc.

Distance and displacement are two quantities that may appear to mean the same thing but they have different meanings.

Displacement is a vector quantity which means; the object’s overall change in position.

Distance is a scalar quantity which means how much ground an object has covered” during its motion.

The difference between a scalar and a vector is that a vector requires a direction. Scalar quantities have only a magnitude; vector quantities have both magnitude and direction. Time is completely separated from direction; it is scalar. It has only magnitude, no direction.
Therefore, Speed is a scalar, while velocity is a vector.

From the above discussion it is clear that distance is a scalar, while displacement is a vector.
In a nutshell, we can say that the given statement is false.

Therefore, B is the correct option.

Note – Whenever we come up with this type of problem, one must know that distance, displacement, speed, velocity, and acceleration are all kinematic quantities that are either a scalar or vector quantity. One is related to the other such as the change in distance over the change in time speed. By using this concept, we can easily solve such types of questions.