Final answer:
The Kemp's Ridley sea turtle's movement of 11 km eastward is a vector because it has both magnitude and direction. Scalar quantities only have magnitude, while forces of indirect or direct contact describe different types of forces.The correct answer is option A.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student's question is pertaining to the nature of a Kemp's Ridley sea turtle's movement of 11 km eastward
When we are describing this movement, it can be categorized as a vector because it has both magnitude and direction. A vector is any quantity with both a magnitude and a direction.
For example, the turtle's movement of 11 km eastward tells us how far the turtle swam (magnitude) and in what direction (eastward).
Comparing other terms, a force of indirect contact would apply to forces that act without physical contact, such as gravity or magnetic forces. A scalar, on the other hand, is a quantity that has only magnitude without direction, such as temperature or mass.
Lastly, force of direct contact would imply a physical interaction between objects, like pushing or pulling something. Therefore, the turtle's action of swimming eastward does not describe a force, but rather it describes its movement as a vector quantity.The correct answer is option A.