Distance vs. Displacement

What is the definition of distance in physics?

• The shortest path between two points

• The total path traveled by an object

• The magnitude of the shortest path between the start and end points

• The direction from start to end point

What does displacement refer to in physics?

• The total path traveled by an object

• The shortest path from the initial to the final position of an object

• The speed of an object

• The distance an object travels per unit of time

If a person walks from their home to the store and then back home, what is the displacement?

• Zero

• The distance to the store multiplied by two

• The distance to the store

• Cannot be determined without knowing the distance

What is the main difference between speed and velocity?

• Speed is a vector quantity while velocity is not

• Velocity includes direction, while speed does not

• Speed can be calculated using distance, velocity uses displacement

• Both B and C

Which of the following is a scalar quantity?

• Displacement

• Velocity

• Speed

• Acceleration

How would you graphically represent velocity?

• As a straight line on a distance-time graph

• As a curved line on a distance-time graph

• As a straight line on a velocity-time graph

• As a curved line on a velocity-time graph

Which of the following statements is true about displacement?

• It can never be zero

• It is always equal to the distance traveled

• It can be zero even if the distance traveled is not

• It is not affected by the path taken

Give a real-life example of when velocity is important.

• Measuring how quickly a room heats up

• Calculating how fast a car must travel to reach a destination in a given time

• Determining how long it takes to bake a cake

• Counting the number of pages in a book

Which of the following is an example of displacement?

• The length of a race track

• The height a rocket reaches above the ground

• The total ground covered during a marathon

• The laps completed in a swimming pool

How do you calculate the distance traveled if you know the speed and time?

• Multiply speed by time

• Divide speed by time

• Add speed to time

• Subtract speed from time