Which of the following is an example of a vector quantity?

• A. Temperature
• B. Mass
• C. Velocity
• D. Speed

Answer: (C)

Vectors have both magnitude and direction; scalars have magnitude only. Velocity fits as a vector because it specifies how fast something is moving and in which direction, e.g., 60 km/h north. Speed mentions only how fast, with no direction, so it’s a scalar. Temperature and mass describe how much but carry no direction, so they’re also scalars. The ability to include a direction is what makes velocity the vector quantity here.