Distance and Displacement
Distance is the total length of a path travelled, while displacement is the straight-line change in position with a direction.
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Distance is the total length of a path travelled, while displacement is the straight-line change in position with a direction.
- Distance is a scalar
- Displacement is a vector
- Returning to the start gives zero displacement
🧠 Quick quiz
Three questions. Score 2 or more to complete the topic.
What is Distance and Displacement?
Within Physics, which covers forces, energy, waves, electricity, magnetism, light and space explained through motion and experiments, this topic explains Distance and Displacement. Physics topics explain how things move, push, heat up and carry energy, so each one here pairs a definition with a live model you can change.
Check that you can explain Distance and Displacement in your own words and give one example from everyday life. If you can do that, you have understood the core idea.
Understanding Distance and Displacement explains how the physical world behaves, from sport and transport to electricity and medicine.
Distance and Displacement in detail
Distance is the total length of the path travelled and is a scalar. Displacement is the straight-line change in position from start to finish, in a particular direction, and is a vector. If you walk 3 m east then 3 m back, the distance is 6 m but the displacement is zero.
Displacement can be positive or negative depending on direction. Using the right quantity matters in motion problems, because velocity and acceleration are defined using displacement. Position-time graphs show displacement against time.
How the interactive helps you understand Distance and Displacement
Watch the projectile path in the interactive. Use any sliders or buttons it offers to change the values and see how the projectile path responds.
Before you change anything, predict the result. Then change one value at a time and check whether your prediction was right. This is a quick way to build a correct mental model of Distance and Displacement.
Real-life uses and examples
- Explain everyday devices, such as brakes, lifts or chargers, using Distance and Displacement.
- Use Distance and Displacement to make sense of a practical and its results.
- Answer “explain” questions by linking Distance and Displacement to a clear cause and effect.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Forgetting that some quantities, such as force or velocity, also have a direction.
- Mixing up Distance and Displacement with a related quantity that has different units.
- Learning the definition without testing it. Use the quiz and the interactive to check that you can apply the idea.
Frequently asked questions about Distance and Displacement
What is Distance and Displacement?
Distance is the total length of a path travelled, while displacement is the straight-line change in position with a direction.
What are the most important points about Distance and Displacement?
The main points are: Distance is a scalar; Displacement is a vector; Returning to the start gives zero displacement.
Why is Distance and Displacement useful?
Understanding Distance and Displacement explains how the physical world behaves, from sport and transport to electricity and medicine.
How can I practise Distance and Displacement?
Open the interactive at the top of this page and change the controls one at a time. Predict the result before each change, then take the three-question quiz. A score of two or more marks the topic as complete on this device.
Which topics are related to Distance and Displacement?
Related topics in Physics include Equations of Motion, Newton's First Law, Mass and Weight.