MotionDistance and Displacement

Vectors

INTROWatch the video

Intro Video

Define distance in your own wordsdraw an example of distance

Define displacement in your own wordsDraw an example

DistanceDistance

The length of a path between two points

SI Unit = Meters (m)

Large Distances = Kilometers (km)

Small Distances = Centimeters (cm)

1 000 m = 1 km

1 m = 100 cm

Example: RollercoasterMeasure the path the car travels

DisplacementDisplacement – Distance & Direction

The direction from the starting point

AND

the length of a straight line from the starting point to the ending point

Example: RollercoasterDistance: The total length of track the car has traveled

Displacement: Start and End are the same place, so after you complete your ride and the car is back in place, the displacement is zero.

Distance/Displacement Demo

VectorsVector

A quantity that has magnitude and direction

Magnitude = Size, length, or amount

Represented by arrows on a graph or map

Length of arrow = magnitude

Displacement is an example of a vector

Combining Displacements

Two displacements (represented by two vectors)

SAME DIRECTION

ADD MAGNITUDE

Two displacements (represented by two vectors)

OPPOSITE DIRECTION

SUBTRACT MAGNITUDE

4 km 4 km

2 km 2 km

Start StartFinish Finish

4 km + 2 km = 6 km

4 km - 2 km = 2 km

Vector Addition & Subtraction

Sample Problems

Resultant Vectors

Not all starts & ends for displacement is back where we started or along a straight path

A resultant vector is the sum of 2 or more vectors

Points directly from start to finish

Used when 2 or more displacement vectors have different directions

Vector Addition Simulator