Position, distance and

displacement
• Position and distance
• Position and displacement
• Time
• Scalar and vector quantities
© Manhattan Press (H.K.) Ltd. 1
 Position and distance
Mechanics
Why?
study motions of bodies
How?
1. position
2. direction
3. time taken
4. other related physical quantities

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 Position and distance

• position — denotes both the

direction & distance from a given reference point
• unit of distance: metre (m) / kilometre (km)

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Position of shopping centre X
N Shopping centre
1 km east
X from Chris:
X
Tracy direction: north
1 km distance: 1 km
1 km north
position of Tracy
Chris Shopping centre
X from Tracy:
direction: east
1 km
position 1
distance: of km
Chris

Y
1 km 1 km
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Position of church Y
N The position of
X
church Y from
Tracy
Chris:
1 km

direction = south-east
Chris distance = 2 km
　　 = 1.41 km

1 km

Y
1 km 1 km
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Position of church Y
N
Tracy The position of
X
church Y from
Tracy:
1 km
direction = south-east
distance = 8 km
Chris 　　 = 2.83 km

1 km

Y
1 km 1 km
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The reference point
Different reference point Position changes
destination
200 m

starting point 200 m

• Distance from destination = 200 m

• Distance from starting point

(complete 1 loop) = 400 m
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Position and displacement

• Distance alone is not enough

5m 5m

Distance = 5 m, represents A or B?

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Position and displacement

How can we solve it

Displacement

• represents change in position

• a physical quantity which has both
magnitude & direction

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 Position and displacement

Displacement of A and B from O:

Magnitude
=5m
direction direction

Direction: negative (–) positive (+)

• Left (−)
5m 5m
• Right(+)
−5 m +5 m
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Position and displacement
magnitude of displacement
= shortest distance between starting point &

end point
• independent of the travelled path

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 Position and displacement

distance
displacement
Thinking 1
distance displacement

length
length

depend on the independent of the

travelled path travelled path
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Time
Measure the duration of an event
Unit: second (s), minute (min), hour (h)
a sundial

a stopwatch

an atomic clock

a quartz clock a watch

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Scalar and vector quantities

scalar quantity vector quantity

magnitude only magnitude & direction

time, distance
displacement
& temperature

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