Distance and displacement are two key ideas in kinematics, which is a part of physics that studies motion.
Distance is simply how far you have traveled. It only tells you the total length of the path, no matter which way you went. For instance, if you walk in a circle that is 2 meters wide, the distance you traveled is the length around the circle, which is about 12.57 meters.
Displacement is different. It measures how far you are from your starting point in a straight line. This means it also includes direction. So, if you walk in a circle and end up right where you started, your displacement is zero, even though you walked a longer distance.
Now, let’s see how these ideas connect to speed and velocity.
Speed tells you how fast you are moving based on distance. You can find it by using this formula:
Speed = Distance ÷ Time
Velocity, on the other hand, looks at how fast your position changes. It is calculated like this:
Velocity = Displacement ÷ Time
So, sometimes the distance you travel is greater than your displacement, like when you go out and come back. In these cases, speed and velocity can give us different information about how you moved!
Distance and displacement are two key ideas in kinematics, which is a part of physics that studies motion.
Distance is simply how far you have traveled. It only tells you the total length of the path, no matter which way you went. For instance, if you walk in a circle that is 2 meters wide, the distance you traveled is the length around the circle, which is about 12.57 meters.
Displacement is different. It measures how far you are from your starting point in a straight line. This means it also includes direction. So, if you walk in a circle and end up right where you started, your displacement is zero, even though you walked a longer distance.
Now, let’s see how these ideas connect to speed and velocity.
Speed tells you how fast you are moving based on distance. You can find it by using this formula:
Speed = Distance ÷ Time
Velocity, on the other hand, looks at how fast your position changes. It is calculated like this:
Velocity = Displacement ÷ Time
So, sometimes the distance you travel is greater than your displacement, like when you go out and come back. In these cases, speed and velocity can give us different information about how you moved!