Position
Definition
Position refers to an object's location in space relative to a reference point. It is usually described using coordinates or distances from fixed points.
Analogy
Think of position as your current location on a map. Just like how latitude and longitude describe where you are on Earth, position describes where an object is located in relation to other objects or points in space.
Related terms
Displacement: Displacement measures how far an object has moved from its initial position in a straight line. It does not consider the path taken.
Distance Traveled: Distance traveled refers to the total length covered by an object during its motion, regardless of direction.
Speed: Speed is defined as how fast an object moves without considering its direction. It is calculated by dividing distance traveled by time taken.
"Position" appears in:
Study guides (1)
Additional resources (2)
Practice Questions (4)
A particle moves along the x-axis. Which of the following statements about its position, velocity, and acceleration are correct?
t seconds after a Calculus textbook is dropped from a building, the rate of change of the textbook’s position is proportional to the amount of time passed. If y(t) is the position of the textbook at time t, which of the following differential equations represents this situation?
The acceleration of a racing car is proportional to the position of the car times the time passed. After 2 seconds, the car has traveled 12 meters and the acceleration is 6 meters per second per second. If x(t) is the position of the car, what is the differential equation that represents the situation?
A particle's position as a function of time (t) is given by the vector-valued function r(t) = <2t^2 - 5t, t^2 + 3t>. At what time(s) is the particle slowing down at its maximum rate?
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