Linear Motion

Question 1

Displacement definition!

Answer 1

• -The shortest distance between point A and point B.

- -A vector indicating change in position from start to end.

Question 2

Distance definition!

Answer 2

The measurement of travel along any path.

Question 3

How does distance change as a car drives around a circular track? How does displacement change?

What would a distance vs. time and a displacement vs. time graph look like?

Answer 3

–A race car driver on a circular path has a constantly increasing distance traveled, but a periodic displacement that is zero at regular intervals.

• -Graph of distance vs time: linear (if speed is constant)
• -Graph of displacement vs time: sine wave, with minima equal to zero

Question 4

Velocity definition!

Answer 4

Rate of change of displacement

Question 5

Speed definition!

Answer 5

Rate of change of distance

Question 6

Are velocity and speed usually equal in most situations?

Answer 6

Nope.

Ex: a racecar driver might have a very high speed, but has an average velocity of zero every time they pass the starting line (because the rate of change on displacement is zero if speed is constant)