Average Displacement Calculator

Formula

The formula to calculate the Average Displacement (D) is:

\[ \text{D} = \text{S}_f - \text{S}_i \]

Where:

\( \text{D} \) is the Average Displacement (meters)
\( \text{S}_f \) is the Final Position (meters)
\( \text{S}_i \) is the Initial Position (meters)

What is Average Displacement?

Average displacement is a vector quantity that represents the change in position of an object. It is the shortest path between the initial and final positions of the object, often represented as a straight line. Displacement takes into account the direction of movement and is not the same as distance, which is a scalar quantity and does not involve direction.

Example Calculation

Let's consider an example:

Initial Position (S_i): 10 meters
Final Position (S_f): 50 meters

Using the formula to calculate the Average Displacement:

\[ \text{D} = 50 - 10 = 40 \, \text{meters} \]

This demonstrates that with an initial position of 10 meters and a final position of 50 meters, the average displacement would be 40 meters.