Distance and Displacement
Any object in motion travels a certain distance from its starting point. Distance, or the length along a path between two points, is one of the quantities associated with the difference in position of the object in motion. Another is displacement. But what is displacement? Is it the same as the distance traveled? To help you answer these questions, analyze the figure below.
The distances covered by runners 1 and 2 are represented by the broken lines, while the arrows represent the displacement of these two persons.
Displacement is the shortest distance between the starting and destination points. For instance, if runner 1 goes 4 km east, then moves 3 km north, his/her total displacement will be 5 km northeast. On the other hand, if runner 2 goes 4 km west, then moves 3 km south, his/her total displacement will be 5 km southwest.
