Certainly! Here are the definitions of displacement and average speed, along with their mathematical calculations:
- Displacement: Displacement is a vector quantity that represents the change in position of an object. It is the straight-line distance between the initial and final positions, along with the direction from the initial position to the final position. Displacement takes into account both magnitude (distance) and direction.
Mathematically, displacement can be calculated using the following formula:
Displacement = Final Position - Initial Position
- Average Speed: Average speed is a scalar quantity that measures the overall rate at which an object covers distance. It is calculated by dividing the total distance traveled by the total time taken.
Mathematically, average speed can be calculated using the following formula:
Average Speed = Total Distance Traveled / Total Time Taken
To summarize, displacement represents the change in position and considers both magnitude and direction, while average speed represents the overall rate of covering distance and is a scalar quantity. Displacement is calculated by subtracting the initial position from the final position, while average speed is calculated by dividing the total distance traveled by the total time taken.