Vector - GCSE Maths Definition

A vector quantity, is used to describe magnitude and direction. The magnitude is the 'size' of the vector; 'size' will depend on what the vector quantity is describing - in GCSE Mathematics, this is usually distance. Other uses include the amount of force. The direction of a vector, as the name implies, tells us the direction in which the vector is acting; this could be in simple terms such as forwards, backwards, north, west, etc, or in more mathematical terms such as '30° clockwise' or 'in the positive x direction'.

A particular use of vectors in GCSE Mathematics is to describe translations. For example, a vector written as means you move 3 units to the right ('in the positive x direction') and 2 units up ('in the positive y direction').