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Problems with detailed solutions on displacement and distance of moving objects. Problem 1 An object moves from point A to point B to point C, then back to point B and then to point C along the line shown in the figure below. a) Find the distance covered by the moving object. b) Find the magnitude and direction of the displacement of the object.
1. What is distance? Answer: Distance is the total movement of an object, irrespective of the direction. 2. What is displacement? Answer: Displacement is the shortest distance between the initial and final position of an object, with a specified direction. 3. Can distance ever be less than displacement?
Distance is a scalar measure of an interval measured along a path. Displacement is a vector measure of an interval measured along the shortest path.
For each of the following questions, decide whether the questioner is asking for the distance or the magnitude of the displacement (or either or neither). How far do you walk each day? How far is it from Toronto to Mexico City by airplane?
Distance? No problem. First I walked 6.0 km and then I walked 10 km for a total of 16 km. Distance is a scalar quantity, so the individual distances add just like regular numbers. 16 km. Displacement is a bit more challenging.
Distance is the length of the path taken by an object whereas displacement is the simply the distance between where the object started and where it ended up. For example, lets say you drive a car. You drive it 5 miles east and then 3 miles west.
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.
