ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Vector (geometric)

A vector is an arrow with a special purpose! The arrow has a tail at one end and a point at the other. We use the arrow to show direction and distance all at once.

So, let's imagine that we want to go to the park. We look at a map and find that the park is 3 blocks away to the north-east. Woohoo!

Now, we can use a vector to show this. We start at our current location and draw an arrow that is 3 blocks long, and goes towards the north-east direction. This arrow (vector) tells us the exact distance and direction we need to go to reach the park.

Vectors can be used in lots of other ways too. For example, we can use them to describe how fast something is moving or in what direction an object is accelerating. We can also use vectors to describe how wind is blowing or how an object is spinning.

Overall, a vector is really just a special arrow that tells us both direction and distance all in one. It's a simple tool that helps us describe things moving around in our world!