Page 2 - Lesson Notes
P. 2
How is Displacement defined?
Displacement is defined as the change in position of an object. It is a vector quantityand
has a direction and magnitude. It is represented as an arrow that points from the
starting position to the final position. For Example- If an object moves from A position to
B, then the object’s position changes. This change in position of an object is known as
Displacement.
Displacement = Δx=xf−x0
xf = Final Position
x0 = Initial Position
Δx = Displacement
Examples of Distance and Displacement
Question 1. John travels 250 miles to North but then back-tracks to South for 105
miles to pick up a friend. What is John’s total displacement?
Answer: John’s starting position Xi= 0.
Her final position Xf is the distance travelled N minus the distance South.
Calculating displacement, i.e.D.
D = ΔX = (Xf – Xi)
