Transcript Distance vs. Displacement - Mr. Hounslow's Physics Page

Distance vs. Displacement
Distance: the length of a path
Ex: You walk 50 m East from physics to Mr.
Freeman’s class but when you get there you
realize you forgot your agenda in physics so
you walk back to retrieve it.
Total distance? 50m + 50m= 100m
50m E
Physics
50m W
Mr.
Freeman’s
N
Displacement
W
E
S
A straight line from start to finish:
 “As a crow flies”
 Make sure you have direction with answer.

Start and stopping point are
the same so displacement =
50m E
Physics
50m W
0m
Mr.
Freeman’s
Distance: the length of a path
Ex: A pigeon runs 75 m east along Harding’s
rooftop. It takes a break and then runs 47
m south. The pigeon then runs 75m west.
Total distance? 75 + 47 + 75= 197m
75m E
75m W
Displacement: from start to
finish
Ex: A pigeon runs 75 m east along Harding’s
rooftop. It takes a break and then runs 47
m south. The pigeon then runs 75m west.
Displacement?
75m E
47m S
?
75m E
75m W
75m W
Draw your
displacement
line from tail
to tip!
Distance: the length of a path
Ex: A hippopotamus swims 2 km
south in the river, walks 1 km
west then proceeds 1 km north.
4km
1km N
2km S
Total distance? 2km + 1km +1km =
1km W
Displacement

Make sure your answer has a
direction.
2km S
Total displacement?
Geometry!
1km N
Use
1km W
1km
?
?
1km N
2km S
Displacement
1km W
1km
?
Displacement
1km
?
How do you find the
hypotenuse of a right
triangle?
a 2 + b 2 = c2
1 2 + 1 2 = c2
1 + 1 = c2
1km
√2 = c