Is time scalar or vectorial quantity in physic?

Question

Can you tell me what type of quantity the time is?
scalar or vectorial ,please explain ...

Answer 1

I have to disagree with everyone above:

- In non-relativistic physics, time is a scalar quantity, because there is no indefiniteness about it, and it is the same for everyone.

- But in relativistic physics, time is NOT a scalar. It is, in fact, the 4th component of a 4-vector: (t, x, y, z). That is why time and space coordinates get mixed together by the Lorentz transformation.

Answer 2

You see, the problem here is that you have calculated total distance, and you aren't taking it as a SCALAR quantity known as displacement which has direction as well as magnitude. I.E, if you travel from 0, to 2 then to -4, yes you have gone eight numbers but relative to your starting point, or incorporating direction, your overall displacement is 2 places left, despite the fact your distance travelled is 8.

Answer 3

Theoretically, time could be a vector, because there are two directions forward and backward. However, in practice, we usually refer to time as a scalar quantity as we are usually concerned with how much time has passed from one event to another or arbitrarily set one event at 'zero' time to measure how long it takes for a second event to occur. Ordinarily, time is thought of as a scalar quantity.

Answer 4

Fundamentally, it is a vector. It has two directions forward and backward just like any other dimension. We are prevented from going backward in time by the 2nd law of thermodynamics. When we refer to time it is always in the forward direction. So it is often denoted by just a scalar quantity.

Answer 5

Time is a scalar. There is no direction involved with time it is simply a magnitude.