Displacement
Definition
Displacement refers to the change in position of an object from its initial point to its final point, taking into account both distance and direction.
Analogy
Imagine you are at home and you walk 5 blocks north, then 3 blocks east. Your displacement would be the straight line distance from your starting point to your ending point, which is like drawing a line directly from your house to where you ended up.
Related terms
Distance: Distance is the total length traveled by an object without considering direction.
Velocity: Velocity is the rate at which an object changes its displacement over time.
Acceleration: Acceleration is the rate at which an object changes its velocity over time.
"Displacement" appears in:
Subjects (6)
Study guides (1)
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Practice Questions (13)
The velocity of an object moving along a straight line is given by the function v(t) = 4t - 3, where t represents time in seconds. What is the total displacement of the object from t = 2 to t = 5?
The velocity of an object is given by the function v(t) = 3t^2 - 2t + 1, where t represents time in seconds. What is the total displacement of the object from t = 1 to t = 4?
The velocity of an object moving along a straight line is given by the function v(t) = 2t + 1, where t represents time in seconds. What is the total displacement of the object from t = 0 to t = 5?
The velocity of an object is given by the function v(t) = t^2 - t, where t represents time in seconds. What is the total displacement of the object from t = 1 to t = 3?
The arc length of a curve is always _______ the displacement of an object along the curve.
What is the displacement of a parametric function defined by x(t) and y(t)?
What is the relationship between displacement and velocity in a parametric function?
What does the displacement of a parametric function tell us?
A particle moves along a straight line with a velocity given by the function (v(t) = 3t). What is the displacement of the particle from (t = 0) to (t = 2)?
A car travels along a highway with a velocity given by the function (v(t) = 4t). What is the displacement of the car from (t = 1) to (t = 3)?
A rocket ascends into space with a velocity given by the function (v(t) = 5t). What is the displacement of the rocket from (t = 0) to (t = 4)?
A train moves along a track with a velocity given by the function (v(t) = 2t). What is the displacement of the train from (t = 2) to (t = 5)?
A bird flies with a velocity given by the function (v(t) = 3t). What is the displacement of the bird from (t = 1) to (t = 4)?
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