What is the difference between zero and vector zero?

Answer 1

The zero vector occurs in any dimensional space and acts as the vector additive identity element. It in one dimensional space it can be <0>, and in two dimensional space it would be<0,0>, and in n- dimensional space it would be <0,0,0,0,0,....n of these> The number 0 is a scalar. It is the additive identity for scalars. The zero vector has length zero. Scalars don't really have length. ( they can represent length of course, such as the norm of a vector) We can look at the distance from the origin, but then aren't we thinking of them as vectors?

So the zero vector, even <0>, tells us something about direction since it is a vector and the zero scalar does not.

Now I think and example will help. Add the vectors <2,2> and <-2,-2> and you have the zero vector. That is because we are adding two vectors of the same magnitude that point in opposite direction. The zero vector and be considered to point in any direction.

So in summary we have to state the obvious, the zero vector is a vector and the number zero is a scalar.