Contents
Key Stage 1
Meaning
Distance is how far away something is.
About Distance
Distance is usually measured with a ruler. Distance can also tell us the length, width or height of something. There are different units of distance you should know:
- Kilometres: For the distance between towns that are far away.
- Metres: For the length of a room.
- Centimetres: For the height of a table.
- Millimetres: For the width of a pencil.
Examples
- Birmingham is 160 kilometres away from London.
- My classroom is 12 metres in length.
- My table is 120 centimetres high.
- My pencil is 9 millimetres wide.
Used in a Sentence
- The distance between London and Birmingham is 160 kilometres.
- The front of my classroom is a distance of 12 metres from the back of my classroom.
- The distance between the floor and the top of my table is 120 centimetres.
- One side of my pencil is a distance of 9 millimetres from the other side of my pencil.
Key Stage 2
Meaning
Distance is how far something has travelled usually measured in metres.
Key Stage 3
Meaning
Distance is a measure of how far something has travelled measured in metres.
About Distance
- Distances may also be referred to as lengths.
- Width, height and depth are a type of distance between the edges of an object.
There are several common units of distance:
- Miles - A non-scientific unit of distance.
- Kilometres - The distance between towns.
- Metres - The height of a building.
- Centimetres - The width of a doorway.
- Millimetres - The length of an insect.
- Micrometres - The length of a cell.
Key Stage 4
Meaning
Distance is a scalar quantity representing how far an object has travelled.
About Distance
- Distance is a scalar because it has magnitude but not direction.
- The SI Unit of distance is the metre.
- Distances may also be referred to as lengths.
- Width, height and depth are a type of distance between the edges or sides of an object.
- Distance travelled is used, along with time, to calculate the speed of an object.
References
AQA
- Distance, page 147, GCSE Combined Science Trilogy; Physics, CGP, AQAd
- Distance, page 178, GCSE Physics; The Complete 9-1 Course for AQA, CGP, AQA
- Distance, pages 208, 210, GCSE Combined Science; The Revision Guide, CGP, AQA
- Distance; on velocity-time graphs, pages 156, 157, GCSE Combined Science Trilogy; Physics, CGP, AQA
- Distance; on velocity-time graphs, pages 187, 188, GCSE Physics; The Complete 9-1 Course for AQA, CGP, AQA