Position and displacement

Many of the objects we encounter in everyday life are in motion or have parts
that are in
motion.  Motion is the rule, not the exception.  The physical laws that govern the motion
of
these objects
are universal, i.e. all the objects move according to the same rules,
and one of
the goals of this class is to understand these rules.

When an object moves, its

position changes as a function of time. 

The position of an object is

given relative to some agreed upon reference point.  It is not enough
to just
specify the distance from the
reference point.  We also have to specify the direction. 
Distance is a
scalar
quantity, it is a number given in some units.  Position is a
vector quantity.  It
has a magnitude as well
as a direction.  The magnitude of a vector quantity is a number (with
units)
telling you how much of the quantity there is and the direction tells you which
way it is
pointing.  A unit vector is a direction
indicator.  It is a dimensionless vector with magnitude 1,
used to specify
a direction.  In text, vector quantities are usually printed in boldface
type or
with an arrow above the symbol.  Thus, while d = distance,
d = displacement.

Links:

Scalars and Vectors 

(Please explore!)

Vector Direction

Position
A convenient way to specify the position
of an object
is with the help of a coordinate system. 
We choose
a fixed point, called the origin
and three directed
lines, which pass through the origin and are
perpendicular to each other.  These lines are called
the coordinate axes
of a three-dimensional
rectangular (Cartesian) coordinate system and are
labeled
the x-, y-, and z-axis.  Three numbers with
units specify the position of a
point P.  These
numbers are the x-, y-, and z-coordinates of the
point P. 
The coordinates of the point P in the
diagram to the right are (a, b, c). 

The coordinates of the point P

are the components
of the position vector.  A unit vector
pointing in the
x-direction has a x-component of 1 and y- and z-
components of
zero.  It is denoted by i.  Similarly, a
unit vector
pointing in the y-direction is denoted by
j, and a unit vector
pointing in the z-direction is
denoted by k.  Unit vectors
are direction indicators.

The components of any vector add up to form the

vector itself.

The position vector of a point P with coordinates (a, b, c) 

may be written in terms of its
components as

r = ai + bj +
ck.  

The magnitude of the position vector is its length r.  It

depends on the choice of the origin of the
coordinate system.  It
is the straight-line distance of P from the origin.
Below is a 3D representation of a position vector
r = ai + bj +ck.   Please click on the image!

(Use a modern browser.  The 3D apps do not work in Internet Explorer or older browsers.)

To get the best view, change the viewport by dragging the mouse and
zoom in or out as needed.

Click the buttons to choose a different vector

or a different scheme for adding the component
vectors.

Example:

Position vector of the Nielsen Physics Building on a small map with the lower left corner as the
origin.

Displacement
A change in position is called a displacement.  The diagram below shows the
positions P1 and P2
of a player at two different times. 

The arrow pointing from P1 to P2 is the

displacement vector. 

Its magnitude is the straight-line

distance between P1 and P2. 

The components of the displacement

vector from P1 to
P2 are (x2 - x1) along the x-axis, (y2
-
y1)
along the y-axis. 

The displacement vector

d  from P1 to P2 may
be written as d = (x2 - x1)i + (y2
- y1)j.

The displacement
d is (x2 - x1) units in the
x-direction plus (y2 - y1) units in the y-direction.

The magnitude of the displacement

is d = ((x2
- x1)2 + (y2 - y1)2)½.  This
follows from the
Pythagorean
theorem.

The distance between two points P1 with coordinates (x1,

y1,
z1) and P2 with coordinates (x2, y2,
z2) is

2
d =
((x2
- x1)2 + (y2 - y1)2 
+ (z2 - z1) )½.

The distance d is the magnitude of the displacement vector d.

The direction of the displacement vector d is the directed line segment from the P1
to P2.
We call this directed line segment a geometrical or graphical
representation of the vector
d.
We draw an arrow head at P2 to indicate
that the line segment starts at the P1 and ends at
P2.

The triple of real numbers dx = (x2 - x1), dy

= (y2 - y1), dz = (z2 - z1)
are called the Cartesian
components of d.

Link: 
Distance and Displacement  (Please explore!)

Problem:

A football quarterback runs 15.0 m

straight down the playing field (in the
positive x direction) in
2.50 s. 
He is then hit and pushed 3.00 m
straight backward in 1.75 s.  He
breaks the tackle and
runs straight
forward another 21.0 m in 5.20 s. 
Calculate his displacement vector and
the total
distance traveled.

Solution:
 Reasoning:

Choose a coordinate system so you can track the player.

Details of the calculation:

Choose your coordinate system so the

player starts at x = 0.  After
2.5 s, he ends up at x =
15 m.

He then moves backward 3 m, and ends

up at x = 12 m after another 1.75 s.

He moves forward 21 m in the next

5.2 s and ends up at x = 12 m + 21 m
= 33 m.

His displacement
vector is d = (33 m)i,
i.e. 33 m forward.

His total distance traveled is 15 m

+ 3 m + 21 m = 39 m.

Note:  The total distance traveled is NOT the straight-line distance

from the start to the
end point if an object does not move in a straight
line without changing direction.

Problem:

While traveling along a straight interstate highway you

notice that the mile marker reads 260. 
You travel until you reach the 150-mile
marker, and then retrace your path to the 175-mile
marker.  What is the
magnitude of your resultant displacement from the 260-mile marker?

Solution:

Reasoning:

The resultant displacement is the

vector d, the sum of two vectors
d1
and d2 which point in opposite
directions.
Details of the calculation:

The resultant displacement is the

vector d, the sum of two vectors
d1
and d2 which point in opposite directions.

Problem:

The tip of a  helicopter blade is

5.00 m from the center of rotation. 
For one revolution of the
blade,
calculate the displacement vector and
the total distance traveled for the tip
of the
blade.

Solution:

Reasoning:

After one revolution, the tip

returns to is original position. 
Its displacement vector d =
0.
Details of the calculation:

The total distance traveled

by the tip equals the circumference
of a circle of radius r = 5
m. 

Circumference = 2πr = 31.42 m.

The total distance traveled by the

tip is 31.42 m.

The displacement vector has the same magnitude and direction, independent of the
choice of
origin of the coordinate system.  The magnitude and direction of the
displacement vector,
however, depend on the reference frame in which the
coordinate system is anchored and at
rest.

Example:
A car has moved forward a
distance of 6 m, while a child has moved forward from the back seat
to the front
seat a distance of 1 m.

Using the car as a reference frame and anchoring the coordinate system
in the car, the
displacement of the child is d(car) = (1 m)i.
Using the road as a reference frame and anchoring the coordinate system
on the road, the
displacement of the child is
d(road) = (6 m)i + (1 m)i = (7 m)i.