Pressure is a scalar quantity because
[amp_mcq option1=”it is the ratio of force to area and both force and area are vectors” option2=”it is the ratio of magnitude of force to area” option3=”it is the ratio of component of force (normal to area) to area” option4=”none of the above” correct=”option3″]
This question was previously asked in
UPSC NDA-2 – 2016
Pressure is defined as the force acting perpendicular to a unit area ($P = F_{\perp}/A$). Although force is a vector, pressure is a scalar quantity because it is defined based on the magnitude of the force component normal to the surface and the magnitude of the area.
Pressure at a point in a fluid acts equally in all directions (Pascal’s principle), which is characteristic of a scalar quantity.