Question #e04a2

Mar 6, 2017

see below

Explanation:

essentially distance is a scalar and displacement a vector, that is displacement must include direction.

for example harry the hedgehog walks from his home 5 metres east then ten metres west.

He has travelled a distance of 15 metres in all.

If we take east as the positive direction.

Harry moves $+ 5$ metres then $- 10$ metres

so his final displacement is $+ 5 + - 10 = - 5$ metres

ie. 5 metres west.

Jun 2, 2017

See below.

Explanation:

Distance is a scalar, a quantity that has only magnitude.

Displacement is a vector, a quantity that has both magnitude and direction.

Jun 2, 2017

See below

Explanation:

Distance is the total amount (in metres) an object travelled, regardless of its starting and finishing point.

Displacement is the actual distance between the initial point of an object and the final point.

For example, if you went to the store 100m away and came right back to your home again, the displacement would be 0 because you went to the store but came back.

The distance would be 200m because you walked 200m in total.