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Questions and Answers
Which one of these is a scalar quantity?
Which one of these is a vector quantity?
What is the difference between displacement and distance?
What is the displacement of a cyclist who rides 3 km west and then turns around and rides 2 km east?
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What is the total distance a person walks if they walk 20.0 m down a hall, turn left, and then walk 10.0 m down another hall?
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Study Notes
Scalar and Vector Quantities
- Scalar quantity: a physical quantity with only magnitude (amount or size)
- Vector quantity: a physical quantity with both magnitude and direction
Displacement and Distance
- Displacement: the shortest distance between the initial and final positions of an object
- Distance: the total length of the path traveled by an object
- Difference: displacement is a straight-line distance, while distance is the total distance traveled
Example Problems
- Displacement of a cyclist who rides 3 km west and then turns around and rides 2 km east: 1 km west (since the cyclist ends up 1 km west of the starting point)
- Total distance a person walks: 30.0 m (20.0 m + 10.0 m)
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Description
Test your knowledge of displacement and velocity with this quiz! Learn about the difference between scalars and vectors, understand the concept of displacement, and explore how distance is related to position.
