The New Student's Reference Work/Vector

Vec'tor is a term employed by mathematicians to denote a directed magnitude, that is, a quantity which has both direction and magnitude.

As examples of vector quantities may be mentioned the distance between any two given points, a velocity, a force, an acceleration, angular velocity, intensity of magnetization flux of heat.

Quantities, such as a quart of water, a pound of sugar, temperature, a quantity of energy, which do not have direction, are called scalars. See Maxwell's Matter and Motion and Tait's Newton's Laws of Motion.