Motion Distance and Displacement Vectors

INTRO Watch the video Intro Video Intro Video Define distance in your own words draw an example of distance Define displacement in your own words Draw an example

Distance Distance The length of a path between two points SI Unit = Meters (m) Large Distances = Kilometers (km) Small Distances = Centimeters (cm) m = 1 km 1 m = 100 cm Example: Rollercoaster Measure the path the car travels

Displacement Displacement – Distance & Direction The direction from the starting point AND the length of a straight line from the starting point to the ending point Example: Rollercoaster Distance: 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

Vectors Vector 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 2 km Start Finish 4 km + 2 km = 6 km4 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 Vector Addition Simulator