Research on Scalar and Vectors

Mathematicians and researchers call a quantity which depends on direction a vector quantity, and an amount which does not depend on instructions is called a scalar amount. Vector amounts have 2 qualities, a magnitude and a direction. Scalar amounts have only a magnitude. When comparing two vector quantities of the very same type, you have to compare both the magnitude and the instructions. For scalars, you just have to compare the magnitude.

When doing any mathematical operation on a vector quantity (like adding, subtracting, increasing .

..) you need to consider both the magnitude and the instructions. This makes dealing with vector amounts a bit more complex than scalars. On the slide we list a few of the physical amounts talked about in the Beginner's Guide to Propulsion and group them into either vector or scalar amounts. Of particular interest, the forces, which run on a flying airplane, the weight, thrust, and aerodynamic forces, are all vector amounts.

The resulting movement of the aircraft in terms of displacement, velocity, and velocity are also vector quantities.

Get quality help now

KarrieWrites

Verified writer

Proficient in: Research

5 (339)

“ KarrieWrites did such a phenomenal job on this assignment! He completed it prior to its deadline and was thorough and informative. ”

+84 relevant experts are online

Hire writer

These amounts can be figured out by application of Newton's laws for vectors. The scalar amounts consist of the majority of the thermodynamic state variables included with the propulsion system, such as the density, pressure, and temperature level of the propellants. The energy, work, and entropy associated with the engines are likewise scalar quantities.

There are some quantities, like speed, which have very special definitions for scientists. By definition, speed is the scalar magnitude of a velocity vector. A car going down the road has a speed of 50 mph.

Its velocity is 50 mph in the northeast direction. It can get very confusing when the terms are used interchangeably! While Newton's laws describe the resulting motion of a solid, there are special equations which describe the motion of fluids, gases and liquids, through the propulsion system.

For any physical system, the mass, momentum, and energy of the system must be conserved. Mass and energy are scalar quantities, while momentum is a vector quantity. This results in a coupled set of equations, called the Navier-Stokes equations, which describe how fluids behave when subjected to external forces. These equations are the fluid equivalent of Newton's laws of motion and are very difficult to solve and understand. A simplified version of the equations called the Euler equations can be solved for some fluids problems.