Pressure is classified as a scalar quantity because it is defined as force per unit area acting perpendicularly to a surface, inherently incorporating direction without needing to be a vector. The definition implies that pressure acts directly against a surface at a 90-degree angle, making the directional aspect clear. This characteristic means that describing pressure as a vector would be unnecessary, as knowing the position already provides the direction. The analogy of a packet of red frogs illustrates this redundancy, emphasizing that the directional information is already contained within the definition of pressure. Thus, pressure remains a scalar quantity in physics.