Why is current an scalar quantity ?
Asked by pulkit sharma | 27th Aug, 2011, 04:01: AM
Expert Answer:
For a physical quantity to be termed a vector quantity, having magnitude and direction is not enough. The quantity should obey the laws of vector addition too (like the triangle law or the parallelogram law). As we know, if two currents meet at a junction, the total current will be the algebraic sum of the two currents and not the vector sum. As the current does not require the vector laws to be applied and can be handled by simple algebra so it does not fit into the definition of a vector and hence it is a scalar.
For a physical quantity to be termed a vector quantity, having magnitude and direction is not enough. The quantity should obey the laws of vector addition too (like the triangle law or the parallelogram law). As we know, if two currents meet at a junction, the total current will be the algebraic sum of the two currents and not the vector sum. As the current does not require the vector laws to be applied and can be handled by simple algebra so it does not fit into the definition of a vector and hence it is a scalar.
Answered by | 27th Aug, 2011, 07:59: PM
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