Distance
Linear measurement between 2 points (Position)
Displacement
How far the object has moved from the starting point (Vector)
-You can chose whichever direction you want to be positive or negative
Example: (West is Positive and East is negative)
Charles travels 10m East to the park and plays with his friends for 30 minutes. He then walks 15m west to his house and takes a quick nap before soccer practice. He then travels 25m east to the soccer field. What is Charles distance traveled and what is his displacement?
Total Distance: 50m Displacement: -20m
– If you were to start and end in the same place then your displacement would be 0
Physics 110-110A 