Lesson: Position, Displacement, and Distance Mathematics

In this lesson, we will learn how to differentiate between position, displacement, and distance traveled, including problems that use vector notation.

Lesson Plan

Students will be able to

distinguish between distance traveled and displacement,
solve word problems involving the distance traveled and/or the displacement of a body,
find the distance covered and/or the displacement of a body from a given position vector.

Lesson Presentation

Lesson Video

Lesson Explainer

Lesson Worksheet

Q1:

You traveled 213 miles from California to San Francisco. Does the “213 miles” represent distance or displacement?

Q2:

Using the given figure, calculate the distance, , covered by a body that moves from point to point then returns to point and its displacement, .

Q3:

A person ran 160 m east and then 175 m north. Find the total distance covered by the person.