MOTION:

Distance and
Displacement
SCIENCE 7 | PHYSICS
 LESSON OBJECTIVES

DESCRIBE DRAW
01 motion along a straight path 03 a distance-time and
displacement-time graph

EXPLAIN
02 motion of objects
in terms of position, distance
and displacement
 Are you in
MOTION?
Identify if the the following scenario is in
Motion or not.
In Motion or NOT in Motion
In Motion or NOT in Motion
In Motion or NOT in Motion
In Motion or NOT in Motion
In Motion or NOT in Motion
In Motion or NOT in Motion
In Motion or NOT in Motion
In Motion or NOT in Motion
In Motion or NOT in Motion
In Motion or NOT in Motion
MOTION IS
RELATIVE
 POSITION
Describing exact position
entails two ideas:
1. describing how far the
object is from the point of
reference and;
2. describing its direction
relative to that point of
reference.
 01
LOCATING OBJECT
ACTIVITY 1
in LNB
Describe the position of the object(s) as you being the point
of reference
1. Teacher’s Table 6. Stand Fan 11. TV remote
2. Smart TV 7. Back Door 12. Alcohol
3. Window (s) 8. Black 13. Bulletin Board
4. Ceiling Fan Board 14. Student with class
number B12
5. Front Door 9. Chalk 15. Student with class
10. Broom number G6
Example: (teacher as the point of reference)
Blackboard – located behind me
Teacher’s Table – in front of me
If the object is not available put “n/a”

After describing the position of each object answer the guide

questions: Q1, Q2, Q5 on page 132

Write your answer in one whole sheet of paper. Copy and

answer.
You may use the following words to describe the position of
the object. Remember you must describe the position on your
own point of reference.
GUIDE QUESTION
Q1. Were you able to find the object? Was it easy or difficult?
Q2. Is the instruction clear and easy to follow? What made it
so?
Q5. In your own words, what is point of reference and how
important it is?
 Point of Reference
“A point of reference is something which you
use to help you understand a situation or
communicate with someone.”

[PHYSICS] A reference point is a place or

object used for comparison to determine if
something is in motion.
POSITION CAN BE
DESCRIBE IN
MANY WAYS
You can also use visuals, like diagrams or
graphs to describe motion.
POSITION CAN BE
DESCRIBE IN
MANY WAYS
You can also use visuals, like diagrams or
graphs to describe motion.
Describing Motion
using Visual
Consider the diagram in Figure 1. The positions of the objects are
described in the diagram by their coordinates along the number line.
Consider the diagram in Figure 1. The positions of the objects are
described in the diagram by their coordinates along the number line.

Q6. What is the position of the dog?

Consider the diagram in Figure 1. The positions of the objects are
described in the diagram by their coordinates along the number line.

Q7. What is the position of the tree?

Consider the diagram in Figure 1. The positions of the objects are
described in the diagram by their coordinates along the number line.

Q8. What is the position of the dog with respect to the house?
Consider the diagram in Figure 1. The positions of the objects are
described in the diagram by their coordinates along the number line.

Q9. What is the position of the tree with respect to the dog?
ANOTHER
EXAMPLE
Q10.1 What is the initial position of the ball?
Q10.2 What is its final position?
Q12. At what time is the position of the ball equal to
5 meters?
Describing Motion
using Graphs
Position-Time
 Position-Time

Q13. What is the position of the ball at 7.5 seconds?

 Position-Time

Q14. At what time is the position of the ball equal to 12.5 meters?
 How Far?

d = AB + BC + CD
= 10m + 5m + 10m
d = 25 m

“How far did the object travel?

 How Far?
= 10m, E
= 5m, S

=
= 10m + (-5m) + (-10m)
= -5 m or 5m, S

“What is the disposition of the object?

How Far?
Distance refers to the length of the entire
path that the object travelled.

Displacement refers to the shortest

distance between the object’s two
positions, like the distance between its
point of origin (initial point) and its point
of destination (terminal point), no matter
what path it took to get to that destination.
 Distance is
represented by
broken lines
----------->

Displacement is
represented by
solid line
_______
>
GRAPHS
When a graph is plotted in terms of the distance
travelled by the object and the time it took to cover such
distance, the graph can be called distance-time graph.
If the graph is plotted in terms of displacement and time,
it is called displacement time graph.
DISTANCE TIME GRAPH
DISPLACEMENT- TIME GRAPH
 Distance and
Displacement
WORD PROBLEMS
PROBLEM#1
Chanice drives her scooter 7 kilometres north. She stops for lunch
and then drives 5 kilometres south. What distance did she cover?
What was her displacement?
PROBLEM#2
On his fishing trip Justin rides in a boat 12 km south. The fish
aren’t biting so they go 6 km west. They then follow a school of
fish 12 km north. What distance did they cover? What was their
displacement?
 TRY THIS
Jose buys a new moped. He travels 10 km west and then 20 km east . How far
does he need to go to get back to where he started?
Tara goes on a camel safari in Africa. She travels 5 km north, then 15 km east
and then 5 km south. What distance did she cover? What was her displacement?
 TRY THIS
Anthony walks to the pizza place for lunch. He walk 1 km east, then
1 km south and then 1 km east again. What distance did he cover?
What was his displacement?