4.5 Read each statement below carefully and state with reasons if it is true or false :

(a) The magnitude of a vector is always a scalar, (b) each component of a vector is always a scalar, (c) the total path length is always equal to the magnitude of the displacement vector of a particle. (d) the average speed of a particle (defined as total path length divided by the time taken to cover the path) is either greater or equal to the magnitude of the average velocity of the particle over the same interval of time, (e) Three vectors not lying in a plane can never add up to give a null vector.

 
 
(a) True as the magnitude of a vector is a number.
(b) False as each component is itself a vector.
(c) False. This is true only the particle moves along a straight line in the same direction.
(d) True, as the total path length is either greater than or equal to the magnitude of the displacement vector.
(e) True, as they cannot represent the three sides of a triangle taken in the same order.