The distance the train travels between A and B is not the same as the displacement of the train - AQA - GCSE Physics - Question 8 - 2018 - Paper 1
Question 8
The distance the train travels between A and B is not the same as the displacement of the train.
What is the difference between distance and displacement?
Use Figur... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:The distance the train travels between A and B is not the same as the displacement of the train - AQA - GCSE Physics - Question 8 - 2018 - Paper 1
Step 1
What is the difference between distance and displacement?
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Answer
Distance is a scalar quantity that measures the total path length traveled, while displacement is a vector quantity that measures the shortest straight line from the initial to the final position, including direction.
Step 2
Use Figure 14 to determine the displacement of the train in travelling from A to B.
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Answer
The displacement of the train from A to B is measured as 37.5 km. The direction can be quantified as 062° or N62°E, indicating that it is 62 degrees to the right of the vertical.
Step 3
Explain how this can happen.
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Answer
The train could be changing direction while maintaining a constant speed. This can occur during curved segments of the journey where the direction of travel changes but the speed remains uniform.
Step 4
Estimate the distance travelled by the train along the section of the journey shown in Figure 15.
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Answer
To calculate the distance travelled, count the number of squares below the line, which is approximately 17 squares. Each square represents 500 m, thus the total distance is:
