Displacement is the distance between an initial and final position, without considering the path taken, while distance takes the actual path into account. Displacement can be negative if the final position is before the initial position, but distance must always be positive. Velocity is displacement divided by time and can be negative, while speed is distance divided by time and cannot be negative.

2. Measures the distance form a starting point to an end point Displacement = Xf-Xi (Final position minus Initial position) Displacement doesn’t care how the object got from Xi to Xf, it only cares about the distance between the two points. Not path dependent Running in a circle or finishing a trip from its start results in a displacement of 0 (Xi and Xf are the same Xf-Xi=0) Measured in meters Displacement is displayed as a number line:

3. Negatives and positives in displacement represent direction. If Xi is greater than Xf then the displacement is negative A negative displacement usually means the object was going backwards. This depends of the frame of reference

4. A frame of reference can make calculating a displacement or distance much easier. A frame of references tells you where zero is and which direction is positive You can usually choose your frame of reference. Making Xi or Xf 0 makes calculations easier.

5. Distance is like displacement, but it is path dependent. It not only wants to know the distance between Xi and Xf, but also how the object got there. Distance, unlike displacement, CANNOT be negative, it is physically impossible. Measured in meters

6. The amount of time the object takes to get from Xi to Xf Ti – Tf Always positive Ti is almost always 0 Measured in seconds

7. Velocity = Displacement over Time . Can be negative. The sign represents direction. Measured in meters over seconds.

8. Speed = Distance over Time Cannot be negative Measured in meters over seconds

9. Slope = Velocity

10. Measures the velocity in a single instant Easy on graphs with straight line Slightly harder on curves. Solution = take the slope of a tangent line

11. Acceleration = Velocity over Time Can be negative

12. Slope = Acceleration To find the instantaneous acceleration, draw a tangent line and measure the slope Y T