Distance and Displacement


Distance and displacement are two quantities that may seem to mean the same thing yet have distinctly different definitions and meanings.
  • Distance is a scalar quantity that refers to "how much ground an object has covered" during its motion.
  • Displacement is a vector quantity that refers to "how far out of place an object is"; it is the object's overall change in position.
To test your understanding of this distinction, consider the motion depicted in the diagram below. A physics teacher walks 4 meters East, 2 meters South, 4 meters West, and finally 2 meters North.
Even though the physics teacher has walked a total distance of 12 meters, her displacement is 0 meters. During the course of her motion, she has...... READ MORE

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