A local weather report gives the following information for a particular afternoon: •…
PHYSICS · Multi-part · CBSE · Physics · Motion in a Plane · Motion in a Plane
Problem
A local weather report gives the following information for a particular afternoon:
• The air temperature is 5∘C.
• A steady wind of 20kmh−1 is blowing from the northeast.
• The wind-chill index makes it "feel like" −2∘C to exposed skin.
(a) Classify each of the following as a scalar quantity or a vector quantity, and justify your choice in each case.
i. Air temperature
ii. Wind speed (20kmh−1)
iii. Wind velocity (20kmh−1 from the northeast)
(b) Explain why the wind-chill index, which represents how cold the air "feels," is considered a scalar even though it is influenced by a moving wind.
(c) Overnight, the temperature is forecast to change at a rate of −3∘Ch−1, with colder air moving southward. Classify the rate of temperature change as scalar or vector, stating clearly whether its sign or any directional information influences your classification.