Distance vs. Displacement Explained

What type of measurement is distance?

• Scalar

• Direction

• Vector

• Magnitude

If a friend tells you they traveled 2 kilometers to your house, what information is missing?

• The speed they traveled

• The direction they came from

• The time taken

• The mode of transportation

What additional information does displacement provide compared to distance?

• Magnitude and direction

• Speed and direction

• Magnitude and time

• Time and speed

What is the shortest distance between the origin and the destination called?

• Displacement

• Route

• Path

• Distance

In the example, how far did your friend travel to get to your house?

• 1.5 kilometers

• 2 kilometers

• 800 meters

• 1 kilometer

Which route was the shortest in terms of distance?

• Your friend's route

• Your route in the car

• Your route on the bike

• All routes were the same

What was the displacement for all three journeys?

• 800 meters

• 1.5 kilometers

• 1 kilometer

• 2 kilometers

In which direction did your friend travel to reach your house?

• Southeast

• Northwest

• Northeast

• Southwest

What is the displacement of the Earth after one complete orbit around the Sun?

• 940 million kilometers

• 365 million kilometers

• Zero

• 1 billion kilometers

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-3

What does displacement measure?

• Magnitude and direction

• Magnitude only

• Time and speed

• Direction only