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What is the total distance travelled? What is the displacement of the object?

What is the total distance travelled? What is the displacement of the object?-example-1
User Credondo
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1 Answer

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23 votes

Hi there!

Distance and displacement are different.

Distance is WITHOUT direction (scalar quantity)

Displacement TAKES INTO ACCOUNT direction (vector quantity), and is RELATIVE to the initial point.

DISTANCE:

Add up each segment's position:

0 - 2 sec: 0 m

2 - 5 sec: 10 - 4 = 6 m

5 - 6 sec: 0 m

6 - 8 sec: 10 - 2 = 8 m

8 - 9 sec: 0 m

9 - 12 sec: 5 - 2 = 3 m

Add up:

6 + 8 + 3 = 17 m

DISPLACEMENT:

To find displacement, simply look at the position at the final point (t = 12 sec) and compare to the initial position:

At t = 12: Position = 5 m

At t = 0: Position = 4 m

5 - 4 = 1 m

User Shawn Bower
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