Talk:Displacement (geometry)

message: I have tried to introduce some consistency with the use of the word "displacement".
The big issue is that velocity should be the rate of change of position and not the rate of change of displacement. Also it is better to use x for position in one dimension, r for position in three dimensions and then Δx or Δr for displacement in one or three dimesions respectively. I try and avoid the previously common practice of using "s" for displacement as this tends to hide the fact that displacement is indeed a change in position. However I have had some difficulty in inserting the Δ in some of the formulae and so I have not be able to complete the change from "s" to "Δx" in all the formulae.Phillip (talk) 12:04, 23 December 2008 (UTC)
replies: text: This is something that also needs to be corrected in the infobox at the bottom of the page. —Anonymous DissidentTalk 11:21, 5 March 2009 (UTC)
thread_title:  Position and Displacement 

message: Is it safe to say that if I am 1.5 meters tall, that quantity(1.5) is NOT a vector? Also, is it safe to say that if, since I was a zygote, that my height increased by 1.5 meters, that quantity(1.5) IS a vector?  —Preceding unsigned comment added by 75.23.226.176 (talk) 00:32, 18 June 2008 (UTC)
replies: text: No - that would not be an example of a vector.  A vector is a quantity that has both a magnitude and a direction. It does not depend on a quantity changing.  Suppose there is a town exactly 100 miles north of where you are now.  The statement that the town is 100 miles away from where you are is not a vector.  The statement that the town is 100 miles north of you is a vector quantity. Hope this helps. PhySusie (talk) 12:28, 22 June 2008 (UTC)
thread_title: Clarifications

message: Is there any useful application of the integral of displacement with respect to time? 82.15.224.87 20:26, 21 November 2006 (UTC)
replies: text: Hmm, if peeople can come up with jounce, crackle and pop they should go the other way too. For completeness sake any references for a term that could go to the left of displacement in the kinematics template?83.146.15.7 (talk) 20:28, 11 April 2009 (UTC)
thread_title: Old

message: These can be used to calculate displacement where u=initial velocity, t=time, a=acceleration, v=final velocity
r = {ut+{1\over 2}at^2}
r = {1\over 2}(u+v)t
hylian_loach 12:11, 20 April 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: I wasn't sure whether to add it into the article not knowing if it was listed in another, or unsuitable.hylian_loach 12:13, 20 April 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: Why don't you add it?  It's what I was looking for, it's vital for physics. LOTRrules (talk) 19:12, 10 February 2008 (UTC)
replies: text: I've added the additional sections as I thought the previous sections are a little confusing.  I've added something about height and the relation to the equations of motion. LOTRrules (talk) 19:54, 10 February 2008 (UTC)
thread_title: Calculating Displacement

message: The first sentence in the intro is: 
"A displacement is a relative motion between two points independent of the path taken."
It is true that a displacement of a point P is a "relative position" of P, i.e. the final position of P relative to its initial position. The expression "relative motion between two points" is not the best way to express this concept. 
The second sentence is:
"The displacement is thus distinct from the distance traveled by the object along given path."
Here, the use of italics typeface is misleading. The reader might think that a displacement is not a distance. On the contrary, it is a distance imaginarily traveled along a straight line, distinct from the distance (actually) traveled by the point.
The third sentence is:
"The displacement vector then defines the motion in terms of translation along a straight line."
Here, the word "translation" is misused. This word refers to the motion of a rigid body, which does not rotate (i.e. does not change its orientation in space). Here, we refer to the motion of a point, and a point does not have an orientation in space.
I rewrote these sentences. Paolo.dL (talk) 21:57, 8 February 2010 (UTC)
thread_title:  First sentences 

message: The diagram shows the difference between the taken route (the path) and the shortest route (as the crow flies), but doesn't show the difference between the scalar (distance) and the vector (displacement) very well. The diagram implies that distance is only used for paths; which is false as it can be used on straight lines.  --86.165.94.3 (talk) 15:58, 29 September 2010 (UTC)
thread_title:  `distance vs displacement` diagram 

message: I read about "shot" and "put" at the jounce page, and I wanted to add them here, but they start with letters some previous derivatives start too, so I don't know what symbol to put! any suggestions?  — Preceding unsigned comment added by 78.0.232.28 (talk) 09:25, 2 September 2011 (UTC)
thread_title:  shot and put (9th and 10th derivatives) 

message: — Assignment last updated by Ahlluhn (talk) 00:56, 31 May 2024 (UTC)
thread_title: Wiki Education assignment: 4A Wikipedia Assignment