In which situation would a scalar quantity be sufficient?(1 point)
a. calculating the net force acting on a car as it moves
b. calculating the momentum of two balls after they collide
c. calculating the total distance traveled during a road trip
d. calculating the acceleration of a sailboat as it speeds up
c. calculating the total distance traveled during a road trip
A scalar quantity would be sufficient in situation c. calculating the total distance traveled during a road trip.
To determine which situation would a scalar quantity be sufficient, let's first understand the difference between scalar and vector quantities. Scalar quantities represent quantities that have only magnitude (size), such as temperature or mass. Vector quantities, on the other hand, have both magnitude and direction, such as force or velocity.
a. calculating the net force acting on a car as it moves - In this situation, force is a vector quantity since it has both magnitude (amount of force) and direction (for example, pushing or pulling). Therefore, a scalar quantity alone would not be sufficient for this situation.
b. calculating the momentum of two balls after they collide - Momentum is a vector quantity since it depends on both the mass and velocity of an object, giving it both magnitude and direction. Hence, a scalar quantity alone would not be sufficient in this situation.
c. calculating the total distance traveled during a road trip - Distance is a scalar quantity since it only requires the magnitude (how far) and not the direction. Therefore, a scalar quantity would be sufficient to calculate the total distance traveled during a road trip.
d. calculating the acceleration of a sailboat as it speeds up - Acceleration is also a vector quantity since it has both magnitude (speed at which velocity changes) and direction (whether the object is getting faster or slower). Thus, a scalar quantity alone would not be sufficient for this situation.
Based on the explanations above, the situation where a scalar quantity would be sufficient is option c: calculating the total distance traveled during a road trip.