🪐 GCSE Physics Revision Newsletter: Distance and Displacement

Part 1 - Keywords:

• Distance

• Displacement

• Scalar Quantity

• Vector Quantity

• Magnitude

• Direction

• Motion

• Straight Line

• Path Taken

Part 2 - Key Facts:

• Distance is the total length of the path an object moves, regardless of direction.

• Distance is a scalar quantity, meaning it only has magnitude (size) but no direction.

• Displacement is the shortest straight-line distance from the start point to the end point with direction included.

• Displacement is a vector quantity, meaning it has both magnitude (size) and direction.

• Example:

  • If a person walks 3 meters east, then 4 meters north, their total distance travelled is 7 meters.

  • Their displacement is 5 meters northeast (calculated using the Pythagorean theorem).

• Real-life Applications:

  • GPS navigation uses displacement for the shortest route.

  • Runners and cyclists track distance, but pilots and sailors rely on displacement for direct travel.

Part 3 - Quick Quiz:

1️⃣ What is the difference between distance and displacement?
2️⃣ Why is distance considered a scalar quantity?
3️⃣ What two things must displacement include?
4️⃣ If a car drives 10 km east and then 10 km west, what is its total displacement?
5️⃣ How can displacement be smaller than distance?

Part 4 - Answers:

1️⃣ Distance is the total path travelled, while displacement is the shortest straight-line distance with direction.
2️⃣ Distance is a scalar quantity because it only has magnitude and no direction.
3️⃣ Displacement must include magnitude (size) and direction.
4️⃣ The car’s total displacement is 0 km because it returned to its starting point.
5️⃣ Displacement can be smaller than distance when the path taken is curved or indirect.

Part 5 - Multiple Choice Questions:

1️⃣ Which of the following statements is true?
a) Distance is always greater than or equal to displacement
b) Displacement is always greater than distance
c) Distance and displacement are always equal
d) Distance is a vector quantity

2️⃣ If a person walks 6 meters north and then 8 meters east, what is their displacement?
a) 14 meters east
b) 10 meters northeast
c) 14 meters north
d) 10 meters south

3️⃣ A cyclist rides 4 km in a circular track and stops at the starting point. What is the displacement?
a) 4 km
b) 8 km
c) 0 km
d) 2 km

Part 6 - Multiple Choice Answers:

1️⃣ a) Distance is always greater than or equal to displacement.
2️⃣ b) 10 meters northeast
3️⃣ c) 0 km (since the cyclist returns to the starting point).

Part 7 - Going Further:

Question:
Why do some sports use distance while others rely on displacement?

Answer:
In long-distance running, total distance matters because it tracks how far an athlete runs. However, in sports like archery or golf, displacement is important since the goal is to reach a precise point in the shortest path. Displacement is also used in physics to describe motion efficiently in navigation and engineering.

Part 8 - Revision Tip:

✔️ Remember: Distance = total path travelled, Displacement = shortest straight-line path with direction!
✔️ Practice: Draw a random path on a grid and calculate both distance and displacement to visualise the difference!

💡 Fun fact: Birds migrate using displacement, not distance, to travel the most efficient route! 🦅✈️

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