I was recently looking up some facts about physics, as I often do to ensure that my statements are correct. Physics is filled with many non-intuitive facts, and I like to double-check what I understand. I came across a peculiar statement from a Google search. It said:
The only basic SI unit that is a vector is the meter. All others are scalars. Derived quantities can be vector or scalar, but every vector quantity must involve meters in its definition and unit.
This is clearly incorrect. First, the meter is a scalar quantity. It has no direction; it has only magnitude.
Vectors do not always include the meter. SI unit vectors, for example, are dimensionless, yet they have magnitude and direction. Rotational velocity units are radians / second.
Unfortunately, this incorrect statement is the first results of a Google search for “Physics SI vector.” Whoever entered this information did so without knowing what they were talking about.
I tried to edit this, but could not create an account because of an IP block. As far as I have been able to determine, this error has existed since at least 2020. I find it difficult to understand how this mistake could have persisted for so long without being corrected.
One might think that I’m wrong, that in fact a meter is a vector quantity. However, even a casual search will reveal that this isn’t the case. Almost all sources confirm that a meter is a scalar quantity; but unfortunately, the first result displays the mistake.
This is one of the disadvantages of the Wiki philosophy. It is wonderful that everyone can contribute to amassing knowledge, but there is not sufficient oversight to ensure that the information obtained is accurate. Because of this, many people are misinformed, while thinking they’re relying on accurate information.
There isn’t much more I can do about this misinformation, other than point it out. For people trying to discover information, possibly dig around a bit to check whether the first results are supported by other sources. And keep in mind that just because Google or Wiki said it, doesn’t mean it’s true.
Another possibility is to use a different search engine. When I used duck.com, I got different references, all of which appeared correct..
Erroneous Sources of Information
I was recently looking up some facts about physics, as I often do to ensure that my statements are correct. Physics is filled with many non-intuitive facts, and I like to double-check what I understand. I came across a peculiar statement from a Google search. It said:
The only basic SI unit that is a vector is the meter. All others are scalars. Derived quantities can be vector or scalar, but every vector quantity must involve meters in its definition and unit.
This is clearly incorrect. First, the meter is a scalar quantity. It has no direction; it has only magnitude.
Vectors do not always include the meter. SI unit vectors, for example, are dimensionless, yet they have magnitude and direction. Rotational velocity units are radians / second.
Unfortunately, this incorrect statement is the first results of a Google search for “Physics SI vector.” Whoever entered this information did so without knowing what they were talking about.
I tried to edit this, but could not create an account because of an IP block. As far as I have been able to determine, this error has existed since at least 2020. I find it difficult to understand how this mistake could have persisted for so long without being corrected.
One might think that I’m wrong, that in fact a meter is a vector quantity. However, even a casual search will reveal that this isn’t the case. Almost all sources confirm that a meter is a scalar quantity; but unfortunately, the first result displays the mistake.
This is one of the disadvantages of the Wiki philosophy. It is wonderful that everyone can contribute to amassing knowledge, but there is not sufficient oversight to ensure that the information obtained is accurate. Because of this, many people are misinformed, while thinking they’re relying on accurate information.
There isn’t much more I can do about this misinformation, other than point it out. For people trying to discover information, possibly dig around a bit to check whether the first results are supported by other sources. And keep in mind that just because Google or Wiki said it, doesn’t mean it’s true.
Another possibility is to use a different search engine. When I used duck.com, I got different references, all of which appeared correct..