11.1 Distance and Displacement

Compare and contrast distance and displacement.

Displacement is the straight-line distance from the start point to the end point. Distance is how far an object travels on a path.

What two things must you know to describe the motion of an object?

You must know the direction the object is moving and how fast the object is moving.

What is a frame of reference?

A system of objects that are not moving relative to one another.

Frame of reference means ____________________

A system of objects that are not moving with respect to one another

Circle the letter of each answer that could describe the magnitude of a vector. A. Length C. Amount B. Direction D. Size

A. Length B. Direction D. Size

Circle the letter of the SI unit best suited for measuring the length of a room in your home. a. kilometers c. centimeters b. meters d. millimeters

B. Meters

Circle the letter that answers the question. What is the displacement of a cyclist who travels 1 mile north, then 1 mile east, and finally 1 mile south? A. 1 mile north C. 1 mile east B. 3 miles east D. 3 miles south

C. 1 mile east

What would your total displacement be if you walked from yourfront door, around the block, and then stopped when you reachedyour front door again? A. two blocks C. zero B. one block D. the entire distance of your trip

C. Zero

Is the following sentence true or false? A frame of reference is not necessary to describe motion accurately and completely.

False

To combine two displacements that are in opposite directions, the magnitudes __________________ from one another.

Subtract

A vector is a quantity that has both_____________ and _______________.

Magnitude and direction

Movement in relation to a frame of reference is called _______

Relative notation

The vector sum of two or more other vectors is called the _____________________.

Resultant vector

Distance is ____________________________

The length of a path between two points

Is the following sentence true or false? Five blocks south is an example of a displacement.

True

Imagine that you are a passenger in a car. Circle the letter of the best frame of reference you could use to determine how fast the car is moving relative to the ground. a. the people sitting next to you in the backseat b. the driver of the car c. a van traveling in the lane next to your car d. a sign post on the side of the road

d. a sign post on the side of the road