Which mathematical quantities have magnitude and direction; examples include velocity and acceleration?

• A. Scalar
• B. Vector
• C. Matrix
• D. Tensor

Answer: (B)

Quantities that have magnitude and direction are vectors. A vector is a way to describe how much of something there is and where it is pointed. For example, velocity tells you not only how fast an object is moving, but also in which direction. Acceleration describes how the velocity is changing and the direction of that change. This combination of size and orientation makes vectors distinct from scalars, which have only magnitude (like mass or temperature).

Mathematical objects like matrices and tensors are more about multi-component relationships and transformations rather than single quantities with a direction in space. They’re used to describe how multiple values relate to each other or how space is stretched and rotated, rather than giving a single magnitude with a directional sense.