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Displacement v Distance
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.
In track and field (athletics), the 100 m sprint is a race of 100m distance and 100m displacement.
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.
In track and field (athletics), the 400m is a race of 400m distance and 0 m displacement (from lane 1).
Sample Calculations
Sample Calculations
The diagram below shows the position of a cross-country skier at various times. At each of the indicated times, the skier turns around and reverses the direction of travel. In other words, the skier moves from A to B to C to D.
Use the diagram to determine the resulting displacement and the distance traveled by the skier during these three minutes.
distance = 420m
displacement = 140 m to the right
Consider a football coach pacing back and forth along the sidelines. The diagram below shows several of coach's positions at various times. At each marked position, the coach makes a "U-turn" and moves in the opposite direction. In other words, the coach moves from position A to B to C to D.
What is the coach's resulting displacement and distance of travel?
55 yds to the left
95 yds
A polar bear paces along two sides of its enclosure as shown. It takes 17.0 s to do this.
Calculate the total distance the bear walks. 25.0 m
Calculate the resultant displacement of the bear. 20.0 m @ 29.4˚ southeast
Calculate the average velocity of the bear. 20/17 = 1.2 m/s
Calculate the total distance the bear walks. 25.0 m
Calculate the resultant displacement of the bear. 20.0 m @ 29.4˚ southeast
Calculate the average velocity of the bear. 20/17 = 1.2 m/s
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