Distance and Displacement

Distance vs Displacement

Position

• the location of an object at any particular time

• to determine motion one needs to know their position and have a frame of reference

Frame of reference

• a system of objects that are not moving with respect to one another

• describes the relative motion of an object accurately and completely

• example: a frame of reference is something not moving that is used to compared to something that is moving to determine the objects speed

Open Ended

If you were the pilot in the airplane, what might you use as a frame of reference to determine your motion?

Open Ended

According to my frame of reference, you are moving as you read this question. What is my frame of reference?

Distance

• the total length of a path

• the total length from starting point to finishing point

• the value for distance can never be negative

• can happen in any direction

• it can either be equal to the value of displacement or greater than it

• only includes the magnitude of the length traveled; example 5 meters

Displacement

• direct distance between two points

• can be negative or positive

• total distance determines how far the object has traveled from its original location

• it is always less than the distance covered by an object under consideration

• it always happens in a specific direction

Scalar vs Vector

• Scalar - a quantity, such as distance, that has magnitude (size) but does not take into account direction

• Vector - a quantity, such as displacement, that has both magnitude (size) and direction

• Vectors in the same directions are added together

• Vectors in opposite directions are subtracted

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Multiple Choice

If you walk to your friends house 500 meters down the street. What is the DISTANCE you have traveled?

• 0 meters

• 250 meters

• 500 meters

• 1000 meter

Multiple Choice

If you walk to your friends house 500 meters down the street, what is your displacement?

• 0 meters

• 250 meters

• 500 meters

• 1000 meters

Multiple Choice

If you walk back to your house taking the same route, what is the total distance you have traveled?

• 0 meters

• 250 meters

• 500 meters

• 1000 meters

Multiple Choice

If you walk back to your house from your friends house taking the same route, what is your displacement

• 0 meters

• 250 meters

• 500 meters

• 1000 meters

Multiple Choice

• A

• B

• C

• D

Multiple Choice

• A

• B

• C

• D

Multiple Choice

You go on a hike on the blue path from point A to point B What distance did you travel

• 4.6 km

• 9.2 km

• 10.3 km

• 0 km

Multiple Choice

You go on a hike on the blue path from point A to point B. What is your displacement

• 4.6 km

• 9.2 km

• 10.3 km

• 0 km

Multiple Choice

Ms. Cobb travels north 5 miles and then goes West 3 miles before coming straight back south 2 miles. What is her distance traveled?

• 10 miles

• 7 miles

• 8 miles

• 6 miles

Open Ended

Give an example of a vector

Multiple Choice

A place or object (like a stop sign or mailbox) used for comparison to determine if another object is in motion is called a

• comparison point

• frame of reference

• point of view

• motion detector

Multiple Choice

After completing one trip on a roller coaster, the roller coaster's ______ is zero.

• displacement

• reference point

• length

• distance

Open Ended

Give an example of scalar

Multiple Choice

Sara walks from Point A to Point B. Which of the following is true?

• Distance and displacement are EQUAL.

• Distance is LESS than displacement

• Distance is GREATER than displacement.

• Displacement is LESS than distance.

Multiple Choice

Bill runs 400 meters to Andy's house, turns around, and runs 400 meters home. What is Bill's distance.

• 0 meters

• 400 meters

• 800 meters

• 1600 meters

Multiple Choice

Chris runs exactly 2 laps around a 400 meter track. What is the displacement?

• 800 m

• 400 m

• 200 m

• 0 m