Describin

g
Movemen
t
Year 10 Physics
Try to describe your movements
1. How did you get to school today?
2. How would you describe the movement of the car, bus,
train, bike or your own feet that takes you to and from
school each day?

Several specific scientific terms and mathematical formulas

can be used to describe moving objects and very precise
measuring equipment is used to measure the motion of objects.
Scalar quantities
Scalar quantities have magnitude (numerical value), but no
direction.

• Distance • Mass
• Area • Density
• Volume • Pressure
• Speed • Temperature
Vector quantities
Vector quantities have magnitude (numerical value) and
direction.

• Displacement • Force
• Velocity • Weight
• Acceleration • Drag
• Movement • Thrust
Graphing motion
Distance is how far an object
travels in a certain amount of
time.

Displacement describes the

change in position an object
and its direction over a
certain period of time.
Distance and displacement measurements

Distance Displacement

12 cm 44 cm left

42 m 12 m forward

1.9 km 5.6 km north

Graphing motion
The object covers a distance
of 4 meters.

This object has a

displacement of 4 meters
north.
Graphing motion
What is the
distance and
displacement of
the object in this
graph?
Graphing motion
What is the distance and
displacement of the object
in this graph?
Partner activity
1. Get into pairs
2. One person needs to act out, and narrate a movement (such
as moving two metres north - over two seconds, and one
meter south – over two seconds)
3. The second person needs to draw a graph (in their book)
based on their partner’s movement and write the distance
and displacement
4. Swap roles