Question

It is your lucky day! You found a treasure map! Your friend exclaims "Egads! The measurement are scalar!". What does your friend mean? What is going through their head?​

Answer 1

Your friend means that the measurements on the treasure map only provide the size or distance without specifying a direction.

Step-by-step explanation:

A scalar is a physical quantity that has only a magnitude or number value. In this context, when your friend exclaims that the measurements on the treasure map are scalar, they mean that the measurements on the map only provide the size or distance without specifying a direction. Scalars give you information about how much of something there is, but not the direction in which it is located. For example, if the map shows the cache as being 2 inches from the boys' current location, it means they need to walk a distance of 160 meters, assuming the scale is 1 inch = 80 meters.

Answer 2

Scalar means only the distance to the treasure is known, not in which direction. If the measurements were of vector quantity, then the map would tell us in which direction and also the distance we are from the treasure. So your friend knows that you wont be able to find the treasure. He is sad because the map is giving only scalar quantities.

maybe you should work hard and earn your own treasure :)