Question

A baby elephant trots in a straight line along river. The horizontal position of the elephant in meters over time is shown below. Questions: 1. What is the displacement of the elephant between 8 s and 24 s ?2. What is the distance traveled by the elephant between 8s and 24s?

Answer 1

looking at the graph,

1) Displacement includes direction

Displacement from 8s to 16s = 15 - 6 = 9

Displacement fbetween 16s and 24s = 0 - 15 = - 15

Displacemet between 8s and 24s = 9 - 15

Displacemet between 8s and 24s = - 6m

2)

Distance does not include direction

from 8s to 16s,

distance travelled = 15 - 6 = 9 m

From 16s to 24s,

distance travelled = 15 - 0 = 15

Total distance between 8s and 24s = 9 + 15

Total distance between 8s and 24s = 24 m