AFOQT Practice Test

What type of quantity is speed?

1. Vector quantity

2. Scalar quantity

3. Neither scalar nor vector

4. A measurement of force

The correct answer is: Scalar quantity

Speed is classified as a scalar quantity because it refers only to the magnitude of how fast an object is moving, without any consideration of direction. Scalars are quantities that are fully described by a numerical value alone. In contrast, vector quantities, like velocity, include both a magnitude and a directional component. While force is a vector quantity, as it has both magnitude and direction, and some of the other options involve characteristics that apply to different types of quantities, only speed represents a simple measure of magnitude without any directional aspect. This distinction is essential in physics, particularly in understanding motion and dynamics.