Displacement
Definition
Displacement refers to the change in position of an object from its initial point to its final point, taking into account both distance and direction.
Analogy
Imagine you are at home and you walk 5 blocks north to reach your friend's house. The displacement would be 5 blocks north because it represents the straight-line distance and direction from your starting point to your ending point.
Related terms
Distance: Distance is the total length traveled by an object, regardless of direction.
Position: Position refers to the location of an object relative to a reference point.
Vector: A vector is a quantity that has both magnitude (size) and direction.
"Displacement" appears in:
Subjects (6)
Study guides (5)
Additional resources (1)
Practice Questions (3)
- If the kinetic energy of a spring at its equilibrium position preparing to move to its negative amplitude is 20J, what is its displacement as it moves to its negative amplitude position given a spring constant of 100N/m. Assume surface is frictionless.
- A person travels 10m North, 5m West, and 5m East. What is their displacement?
- A truck already having travelled 200m at 50 m/s suddenly accelerates at 10 m/s^2 for 5 seconds. What is the total displacement of the truck at the end of 5 seconds?
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