Distance vs Displacement
Physics: AQA GCSE Higher, topic 5.1.5
Distance vs Displacement
Distance and displacement are slightly different. Be careful which one you use.
Distance
- Distance is how far an object moves.
- Distance is a scalar quantity.
- This is because it contains a magnitude (size) but not a direction.
Displacement
- Displacement is the distance an object moves in a straight line from a starting point to a finishing point.
- Displacement is a vector quantity.
- This is because it contains a magnitude (size) and direction.
Test yourself on Distance vs Displacement
Which of these statements are true of distance?
Which of these statements are true of displacement?
If an object travels 4 metres forwards then 2 metres backwards, what is the distance travelled? What is the object's displacement?