National League for Nursing (NLN PAX) Practice Exam

A quantity that possesses both magnitude and direction is identified as a vector. This is a fundamental concept in physics and mathematics. Vectors are used to represent various quantities, such as velocity, force, and displacement, which require both a size (magnitude) and a specified direction to be fully described. For instance, when stating that a car is traveling at 60 miles per hour to the north, both the speed (magnitude) and the direction (north) are necessary to convey a complete understanding of the car's motion.

The other options do not fit this description. For example, a resultant refers to the vector sum of two or more vectors, which is a derived concept rather than a standalone quantity with both characteristics. Scalars, on the other hand, are quantities that have only magnitude and no direction, such as temperature and mass. An undefined unit does not apply in this context and does not describe any accepted physical quantity. Thus, the identification of vector as the correct answer aligns with its definition and characteristics in the realm of physics.