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PHYSICS DISTANCE AND DISPLACEMENT. Introduction. Kinematics is the study of an object’s motion in terms of its displacement, distance traveled, velocity and acceleration. Definition. A vector is a quantity that includes both direction and magnitude
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Introduction • Kinematics is the study of an object’s motion in terms of its displacement, distance traveled, velocity and acceleration.
Definition • A vector is a quantity that includes bothdirection and magnitude • A scalar does not involve direction, only magnitude
Example • Which of the following are vectors which are scalars?
Position • Everything exists somewhere in the universe. • To describe the position that object is located you need a reference point. • We can arbitrarily choose that point and call it the origin • The laws of physics work no matter where you place the origin, choose what is simple.
Distance • Distance is a scalar quantity that refers to "how much ground an object has covered" during its motion. • Measured in meters
Displacement • Displacement is a vector quantity that refers to "how far out of place an object is“ • Displacement is an objects change in position. • Change in means the difference between the initial position and the final position • Measured in meters
Notation • is what we call the displacement vector • is what we call the displacement vector if it is purely horizontal • y is what we call the displacement vector if it is purely vertical
Example 1 A rock is thrown straight up ward from the edge of a 30m cliff, rising 10m the falling all the way down to the base of the cliff. Find the rock’s displacement. Find the rock’s distance traveled.
Example 2 An infant crawls 5m East then 3m west, then 1m East. Find the infant’s distance and displacement.
Example 3 In a track and field event an athlete runs exactly once around an oval track, a total distance of 500 m. Find the runners displacement for the race.