Displacement

Key Stage 4

Meaning

This diagram shows the difference between displacement and distance.

Displacement is a vector quantity describing the straight line distance and direction from a point of origin to a new location.

About Displacement

Displacement is a vector because it has magnitude and direction.

The SI Unit for the magnitude of displacement is the metre.

Displacement is usually described from a point of origin to a new location.

Displacement is different from it's scalar counterpart 'distance' which describes the length of the journey, while displacement ignores the journey and looks only at the start and end points.

References

AQA

Displacement, page 147, GCSE Combined Science Trilogy; Physics, CGP, AQA

Displacement, page 178, GCSE Physics; The Complete 9-1 Course for AQA, CGP, AQA

Displacement, page 208, GCSE Combined Science; The Revision Guide, CGP, AQA

Displacement, page 60, GCSE Physics; The Revision Guide, CGP, AQA

Displacement, pages 114, 136, 168-169, GCSE Physics; Third Edition, Oxford University Press, AQA

Displacement, pages 118, 148, GCSE Physics, Hodder, AQA

Displacement, pages 143, 149, 192, GCSE Physics; Student Book, Collins, AQA

Displacement, pages 208, 226, GCSE Combined Science Trilogy 2, Hodder, AQA

Displacement; calculation from velocity-time graphs, pages 152-3, GCSE Physics, Hodder, AQA

Edexcel

Displacement (distance), page 2, GCSE Physics, Pearson Edexcel

Displacement (distance), page 286, GCSE Combined Science, Pearson Edexcel

Displacement (vector), page 145, GCSE Combined Science; The Revision Guide, CGP, Edexcel

Displacement, page 12, GCSE Physics; The Revision Guide, CGP, Edexcel

Displacement, page 22, GCSE Physics, CGP, Edexcel

OCR

Displacement (vector), page 157, Gateway GCSE Combined Science; The Revision Guide, CGP, OCR

Displacement (vector), page 21, Gateway GCSE Physics; The Revision Guide, CGP, OCR