Displacement and Velocity Direction Relationship

In summary, displacement and velocity do not always have the same direction. Displacement is the shortest possible distance between two points and can be in a different direction than velocity. For example, a projectile shot at an upward angle will have a velocity in the upward direction, but its displacement will be in a horizontal direction from where it was shot to where it lands. This is correct according to the conversation between the two individuals.
  • #1
Silver15
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Homework Statement


Hi, I'm new to physics and to theses forums. Hope to learn a lot and succeed in physics for school and most likely university. I'm just stuck on this one question:

Will displacement and velocity always have the same direction?

Thanks in advance.
 
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  • #2
Oh I forgot to put what I have thought of:

Displacement is the shortest possible distance between things, and thus, it can be in a different direction than velocity.
A projectile can be shot upward at a very slight angle, and so, the velocity would be in the upward direction, but from where it was shot and where it lands is the displacement (given it's on an even surface), which is in a horizontal direction.Is this correct?
 
  • #3
Welcome to PF!

Hi Silver15! Welcome to PF! :smile:

(btw, never reply to your own initial question: it takes the question off the No-replies list: edit the question instead :wink:)
Silver15 said:
Displacement is the shortest possible distance between things, and thus, it can be in a different direction than velocity.
A projectile can be shot upward at a very slight angle, and so, the velocity would be in the upward direction, but from where it was shot and where it lands is the displacement (given it's on an even surface), which is in a horizontal direction.

Yup, all correct! :biggrin:

(except, of course, displacement isn't actually a distance, is it? :wink:)
 

FAQ: Displacement and Velocity Direction Relationship

What is the difference between displacement and velocity?

Displacement refers to the distance and direction an object has moved from its original position, while velocity is the rate of change of displacement over time. In other words, displacement is a vector quantity that describes the position of an object, while velocity is a vector quantity that describes the object's speed and direction of motion.

How is displacement calculated?

Displacement can be calculated by subtracting the initial position from the final position of an object. This can be represented mathematically as Δx = xf - xi, where Δx is the displacement, xf is the final position, and xi is the initial position.

What is the difference between average and instantaneous velocity?

Average velocity is the total displacement of an object over a period of time, while instantaneous velocity is the velocity of an object at a specific moment in time. Average velocity can be calculated by dividing the total displacement by the total time, while instantaneous velocity can be calculated by taking the derivative of the position-time graph at a specific point.

What is a displacement-time graph?

A displacement-time graph is a visual representation of an object's displacement over time. The x-axis represents time and the y-axis represents displacement. The slope of the graph at any point represents the object's velocity at that specific time.

How does acceleration affect displacement and velocity?

Acceleration is the rate of change of velocity over time. If an object is accelerating, its velocity and displacement will change over time, and the displacement-time and velocity-time graphs will have a non-zero slope. If an object has a constant acceleration, the displacement-time graph will be a curved line, and the velocity-time graph will be a straight line.

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