7 Questions
What is the main difference between distance and displacement?
Distance is a scalar quantity, while displacement is a vector quantity.
Which formula represents the calculation for displacement?
$Δs = Δx + Δy + Δz$
Which of the following statements about displacement is true?
Displacement gives both magnitude and direction of the change in position.
What does the distance formula $s = sqrt( (Δx)^2 + (Δy)^2 + (Δz)^2 )$ calculate?
Magnitude of change in position without considering direction.
In what units is displacement typically measured?
Meters
Which statement correctly describes displacement in physics?
Displacement can be negative based on the direction of motion.
What does the symbol Δs represent in the context of displacement?
Difference between initial and final positions of an object.
Study Notes
Distance and Displacement
- Distance is a scalar quantity that measures how far an object has traveled.
- Displacement is a vector quantity that describes the direction and amount of change in an object's position.
Displacement Vector
- Defined as the difference between an object's initial and final positions.
- Denoted by the symbol Δs.
- Formula: Δs = Δx + Δy + Δz, where Δx, Δy, and Δz are the differences in x, y, and z coordinates of the initial and final positions.
Distance Formula
- Formula: s = sqrt( (Δx)^2 + (Δy)^2 + (Δz)^2 ), where s is the distance traveled.
- Δx, Δy, and Δz are the differences in x, y, and z coordinates of the initial and final positions.
Importance of Distance and Displacement
- Help determine the amount of motion an object undergoes.
- Help determine the direction and magnitude of an object's motion.
- Useful quantities in physics for understanding an object's change in position.
Learn about the concepts of distance and displacement in physics and how they differ. Understand the scalar nature of distance and the vector nature of displacement, along with the calculation of displacement using the formula Δs = s_final - s_initial.
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