Is distance a scalar quantity?

Distance is indeed a scalar quantity. This is because it only has magnitude and does not have a direction associated with it. In physics, scalar quantities are those that can be described completely by a single numerical value, which represents how much of the quantity there is. For distance, it tells us how far apart two points are, but it does not indicate in which direction that distance is measured.

On the other hand, when we talk about displacement, that is a vector quantity, which means it has both magnitude and direction. For example, if an object moves 5 meters to the east, that describes a vector, as it specifies both the distance and the direction. In contrast, stating that an object is 5 meters away doesn't provide any information regarding the direction, thus it qualifies as a scalar quantity.

Understanding the distinction between scalars and vectors is crucial in many applications within engineering and physics, especially in contexts such as mechanics, where both types of quantities frequently interact.