What is the difference between distance and displacement?

Distance is the total path covered, displacement is the straight-line distance between start and end points.

If an object moves in a straight line without changing direction, when is its distance travelled equal to the magnitude of its displacement?

When it moves without turning back

Describing Motion Around Us

Motion is the change in an object's position over time. This cheat sheet covers key concepts like distance, displacement, speed, velocity, acceleration, and graphical representations of motion.

Core Principles

Position: Defined by distance and direction from a reference point.
Motion: Occurs when an object's position changes relative to a reference point.
Rest: Occurs when an object's position does not change relative to a reference point.
Distance: The total path length covered by an object.
Displacement: The net change in an object's position (straight line from start to end).
Speed: Rate of change of distance (scalar quantity).
Velocity: Rate of change of displacement (vector quantity, includes direction).
Acceleration: Rate of change of velocity (vector quantity).

Formulas

average speed = total distance travelled / time interval
average velocity = change in position / time interval = displacement / time interval
average acceleration = change in velocity / time interval = (final velocity - initial velocity) / time interval
v = u + at
s = ut + (1/2)at²
v² = u² + 2as

Quiz

What is the difference between distance and displacement?: Distance is the total path covered, displacement is the straight-line distance between start and end points.
If an object moves in a straight line without changing direction, when is its distance travelled equal to the magnitude of its displacement?: When it moves without turning back
What does the slope of a velocity-time graph represent?: Acceleration