This experiment is designed to familiarize the student with the concept of vectors , including resolving vectors into components, the polar description of vectors, and vector addition. Many quantities in physics are scalars , that is, they have a magnitude only.
Examples are mass, volume, energy, etc.
Other quantities are known as vectors and are characterized by having not just magnitude, but direction also. Examples include velocity, acceleration, force, torque, etc. If the magnitude and direction of a vector are known, it is possible to resolve the vector into components .