Comparing Distance and DisplacementName
Date
Background Information
Distance is the length of a path between two points. When an object moves from one point to another, the distance is the length of the line connecting the object’s starting point and its ending point. Remember though, that not all objects take a straight path to get from one point to another and many paths involve turns that change the direction of the path. Displacement, on the other hand, provides information to describe an object’s position relative to a given point. This is expressed with a direction and the length of a straight line from the starting point to the ending point. Displacement does not concern itself with all the changes in direction that the path may have taken to get from start to finish.
Objective
The objective of this lab experiment is to be able to distinguish between distance and displacement.
Hypothesis
In your hypothesis state your expectations about which you think will have a longer length, the measured distance or the measured displacement. Remember to justify your hypothesis.
Materials
Graph paper
Pencil
Metric ruler
Calculator
Procedures
- Draw a dot at the intersection of two lines near the bottom edge of a sheet of graph paper. Label the dot “Start”.
- Draw a second, similar dot near the top of the paper. Label this dot “End”.
- Draw a path from the Start dot to the End dot. Choose any path that stays on the grid lines.
- Use a ruler to determine the distance of your path in both millimeters and centimeters. Record your answers in the Data Section.
- Use a ruler to determine the displacement from start to end in both millimeters and centimeters. Record your answers in the Data Section.
Data
Distance______mm______cm
Displacement______mm______cm
Analysis Questions
- Which is shorter, the distance or the displacement?
- How could you have made the distance shorter?
- If you keep the Start and End points the same, is it possible to make the displacement shorter? Explain your answer!