**Momentum is a Vector Quantity**

**Definition of Momentum:**
Momentum is a fundamental concept in physics that describes the quantity of motion possessed by an object. It is defined as the product of an object's mass and velocity. Mathematically, momentum (p) can be expressed as:

p = m * v

where:
- p is the momentum
- m is the mass of the object
- v is the velocity of the object

**Properties of Vectors:**
In physics, quantities can be categorized as either scalars or vectors. Scalars are quantities that have only magnitude, while vectors have both magnitude and direction.

**Magnitude and Direction:**
To understand why momentum is a vector quantity, let's consider the definition of vectors. Vectors have both magnitude and direction. In the case of momentum, the magnitude is given by the product of mass and velocity. However, momentum also has a direction associated with it.

**Direction of Momentum:**
The direction of momentum is the same as the direction of the velocity of the object. This means that momentum is not only dependent on the mass and speed of an object, but also on its direction of motion.

**Example:**
For example, if two objects have the same mass and speed but are moving in opposite directions, their momenta will be in opposite directions as well. This indicates that momentum is a vector quantity.

**Vector Addition:**
Another property of vectors is that they can be added together using vector addition. When two objects collide or interact, their momenta can be added using vector addition to determine the total momentum of the system.

**Conclusion:**
Based on the definition of vectors and the properties of momentum, we can conclude that momentum is a vector quantity. It has both magnitude (mass times velocity) and direction (same as the direction of velocity).