Kinetic Energy and Momentum Scalar

Level: Undergrad
Thread starter bravoghost
Start date Mar 30, 2011
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Energy Kinetic Kinetic energy Momentum Scalar

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2 replies · 2K views

bravoghost

Thread starter
Mar 30, 2011

This is a conceptual problem that I'm sure is pretty common. How can kinetic energy (1/2mv^2) be a scalar quantity when it includes a vector quantity like velocity?

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Svalbard

Mar 30, 2011

v^2 can be written as the dot product v*v, and a dot product is a scalar.

cjl

Science Advisor

Mar 30, 2011

Because, as Svalbard stated, the square of a vector is a scalar.

Kinetic Energy and Momentum Scalar

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