Enter values and click the “Calculate” button to find the displacement (distance traveled) of an object that has moved from its starting point.
“The displacement is the shortest distance, an item travels in a immediately line from its starting point to its ending point”
It represents the change in the position of the item, considering each importance and direction.
Right here's an instance which perfectly illustrates the idea: as an example, if a car actions 20 meters east, then 10 meters west, its general distance traveled is 30 meters (20 meters + 10 meters).
But, its displacement could be 10 meters east because its very last position is 10 meters east from its place to begin.
There are several formulas for calculating displacement considering each the distance and course of an item. There are examples under that facilitates to indicate those formula all through the calculations!
A car accelerates from rest and reaches a speed of \(\ 100 \, ms^{-1}\) after \(\ 20 \, s\). Calculate the displacement of the car, assuming constant acceleration during this period.
The formula for displacement under constant velocity is: \(\ S = \frac{1}{2}(v + u)t\)
Now, substitute the given values into the formula:
\(\ S = \frac{1}{2}(100 + 0) \cdot 20\)
\(\ S = \frac{1}{2} \cdot 2000\)
\(\ S = 1000 \, m\)
Therefore, the displacement of the car is \(1000 \, m\).
| Feature | Distance | Displacement |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Total length of the path traveled | Straight line path between starting and ending points |
| Direction | No | Yes |
| Quantity | Scalar (magnitude only) | Vector (magnitude and direction) |
| Possible values | Always positive or zero | Positive, negative, or zero |
| Path dependence | Depends on the actual path taken | Independent of the path taken |
| Measurement | Measured along any path | Measured in a straight line |
| Example | A car driving a curvy route for 10 km | A person walking 4 steps east and then 4 steps west, ending at the starting point (displacement of 0 km) |
To calculate the displacement with out time, degree the final distance and then subtract the beginning distance.
d = |x2 - x1|
No, the displacement of an item can be either equal to or even less than the gap traveled by means of the object.
