Question

Read each statement below carefully and state, with reasons and examples, if it is true or false:
A scalar quantity is one that
(a) is conserved in a process
(b) can never take negative values
(c) must be dimensionless
(d) does not vary from one point to another in space
(e) has the same value for observers with different orientations of axes

Answer 1

(a) False
Despite being a scalar quantity, energy is not conserved in inelastic collisions.
(b) False
Despite being a scalar quantity, temperature can take negative values.
(c) False
Total path length is a scalar quantity. Yet it has the dimension of length.
(d) False
A scalar quantity such as gravitational potential can vary from one point to another in space.
(e) True
The value of a scalar does not vary for observers with different orientations of axes.