A sports coach measures four quantities during an athletics training session. For each quantity listed below, state whether it is a scalar quantity or a vector quantity and give the correct SI unit. The four quantities are: distance, velocity, acceleration, and time.
Written & reviewed by James Millett — Biology (Imperial College London), PGCE Science (University of Cambridge).
Model answer (4 marks)
Distance – scalar, m
Velocity – vector, m s⁻¹
Acceleration – vector, m s⁻²
Time – scalar, s
Velocity – vector, m s⁻¹
Acceleration – vector, m s⁻²
Time – scalar, s
Examiner tips
- Use the word ‘scalar’ or ‘vector’ before the unit; examiners look for the correct pairings.
- Write the SI unit in the correct form (m, m s⁻¹, m s⁻², s).
Common mistakes
- Confusing distance with displacement (both scalars but only displacement is a vector).
- Writing velocity or acceleration as scalars, or giving the wrong unit (e.g. km/h).
Mark scheme (4 marks)
- Distance is a scalar quantity
- Velocity is a vector quantity
- Acceleration is a vector quantity
- Time is a scalar quantity
Key terms in this question
scalar quantity · vector quantity · SI unit
Related
- All Pearson Edexcel International GCSE Physics (4PH1) revision notes →
- How to answer a "State" question →
- Decode the mark scheme abbreviations →
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