🏁 Lesson 3 Homework – Position,
Distance and Displacement
🔍 1. Remembering
Recall definitions and basic facts.
Q1.1
Define the following terms in your own words:
a) Position
b) Distance
c) Displacement
d) Reference point
Q1.2
List three examples from your daily life where you can observe the difference between distance
traveled and displacement.
Q1.3
What are the key characteristics that make displacement a vector quantity? What makes
distance a scalar quantity?
🧠 2. Understanding
Explain concepts and relationships.
Q2.1
Explain why distance is always positive while displacement can be positive, negative, or zero.
Use a specific example to illustrate your explanation.
Q2.2
Two students walk around a circular track. Student A completes exactly one full lap. Student B
walks halfway around the track and stops. Compare their distance traveled and displacement.
Explain which measurement would be more useful for a fitness tracker and why.
🔢 3. Applying
Use concepts in familiar contexts.
Q3.1
A hiker starts at position 0 m and walks the following path:
● 150 m East
● 80 m North
● 100 m West
● 30 m South
Calculate:
a) The total distance traveled
b) The final displacement (magnitude and direction)
Q3.2
On a coordinate grid, an object moves from point A(2, 3) to point B(8, 7).
a) What is the displacement vector?
b) What is the magnitude of the displacement?
c) What is the direction of the displacement (angle from the positive x-axis)?
Q3.3
A delivery truck drives 12 km North, then 5 km East, then 8 km South.
a) What is the total distance traveled?
b) What is the truck's displacement from its starting point?
c) If the truck needs to return directly to its starting point, how far must it travel?
📊 4. Analyzing
Solve multi-step problems using coordinate systems and vectors.
Q4.1
Two friends start at the same coffee shop and take different routes to school:
● Friend A: 800 m North, then 600 m East
● Friend B: 1000 m at 37° Northeast
a) Calculate each friend's displacement from the coffee shop
b) Who travels a shorter distance?
c) Who ends up closer to the school if the school is 1200 m Northeast of the coffee shop?
🧮 5. Evaluating
Compare strategies and justify reasoning.
Q5.1
Analyze which measurement (distance or displacement) is more useful for:
a) Calculating fuel consumption
b) Determining travel time
c) Understanding the overall geographic relationship between locations
Q5.2
Compare the usefulness of distance versus displacement in these scenarios:
a) A mail carrier delivering packages in a neighborhood
b) A migrating bird flying from one continent to another
c) A race car driver completing laps on a circular track
Justify which measurement would be more important in each case.
Q5.3
Two joggers start and end at the same park but take different paths:
● Jogger A: Runs around the park's perimeter (2.5 km total)
● Jogger B: Runs to a nearby hill and back (3.2 km total)
Both have zero displacement. Which jogger got better exercise? Consider what additional
information you would need to make a complete comparison.
🧠📈 6. Creating
Design or synthesize using multiple ideas.
Q6.1
Design a treasure hunt with 4 clues that uses displacement vectors. Your hunt should:
● Start at a specific location (your choice)
● Include at least one segment where participants backtrack
● End at a location that's closer to the start than the total distance traveled
● Include both magnitude and direction in each clue
Write out all clues and provide the solution showing total distance versus final displacement.
Q6.2
Design a coordinate geometry problem that combines multiple physics concepts:
● An object that changes direction at least once
● Involves both 2D displacement calculations and vector components
● Requires the use of trigonometry
● Has a practical, real-world context
Include:
a) A clear problem statement with a diagram
b) Step-by-step solution showing all calculations
