Dynamics
2007-10-02 10:28:20 · 5 answers · asked by Jupiter 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
Although it is being a bit picky, I would say that distance is X and displacement is dX - absolute measure vs. relative distance.
2007-10-02 10:32:30 · answer #1 · answered by Mike1942f 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The relation between them can be defined only in a particular case where the path traversed by the particle is a perfect straight line. When the above holds Distance = Displacement. Distance is the total path length covered by the particle where Displacement is the minimum distance between the initial and the final points. For example take a circular path, move from one end of the diameter to other. The distance travelled is πr/2 but the displacement is 2r.[r is the radius of the circle]
2016-04-07 00:54:02 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
think of it this way: say your school is 1 mile away. if you walk to school and back, you've walked a distance of 2 miles. however, if you said that your house was at 0 miles, and the school was at 1 mile, your displacement forward on the way to school would be 1 mile (from zero miles to 1 mile = 1 mile). going home would be like going backwards, and your displacement would be -1 mile (from 1 mile to 0 miles = -1 mile). if you added up your displacements, you would get zero, because you didn't travel a net distance. you may have walked 2 miles, but your displacement is zero because you just went forwards and back on the same line.
2007-10-02 10:34:26 · answer #3 · answered by Kaila G 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Distance:
If I move from A, to B, to C to B, my distance is AC + CB
Displacement of the same movement will just be AB
2007-10-02 10:32:03 · answer #4 · answered by the_real_yoda 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
distance is a scalar
displacement is a vector
distance measures distance only
displacement measures distance and direction
2007-10-02 10:38:08 · answer #5 · answered by john 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋