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Updated on 26th October, 2023 , 6 min read
Displacement is a fundamental concept in physics that refers to the change in position of an object from one point to another. It is a vector quantity, meaning it has both magnitude and direction. To quantify displacement in a standardized manner, the International System of Units (SI) has established a specific unit for displacement. In this article, we will delve into the SI unit of displacement, its definition, and its significance in physics.
Displacement is a measure of the change in position of an object in each direction. It is different from a distance, which refers to the total length of the path traveled by an object, regardless of direction. Displacement considers the starting and ending positions of an object and is typically represented by the symbol "d" in physics equations.
The formula for displacement is given by:
Displacement (Δx) = Final position (fx) - Initial position (xi)
where:
Δx: displacement, which represents the change in position or the distance between the final and initial positions.
xf: final position, which is the position of an object or point in space after a certain period of time.
xi: initial position, which is the position of an object or point in space at the beginning or before the change in position occurred.
This formula is commonly used in physics and kinematics to calculate the change in position or distance traveled by an object, usually in one dimension, such as along a straight line. It can be used to calculate displacement in various units, such as meters, kilometers, or miles, depending on the units used for the final and initial positions.
The SI unit of displacement is the meter (m). The meter is the fundamental unit of length in the SI system and is defined as the distance traveled by light in a vacuum during a time interval of 1/299,792,458 of a second. This definition provides a precise and standardized reference for measuring length and, consequently, displacement.
Quantity | SI Unit | Symbol |
Displacement | Meter | m |
The meter is a versatile unit that can be used to measure displacement at various scales, from the microscopic to the astronomical. For example, in everyday life, we might use meters to measure the displacement of a car or a person walking. In scientific research, meters can be used to measure the displacement of particles, molecules, or celestial bodies.
Displacement is typically measured in units of length, and the SI (International System of Units) unit for displacement is the meter (m). Here are some examples of displacement measured in meters:
The SI unit of displacement, the meter, plays a crucial role in physics and other scientific fields. Here are some key reasons why the meter is significant in measuring displacement:
The FPS system is the British Engineering system of units, which uses foot, pound, and second as the three basic units for measuring length, mass, and time, respectively. Since the length's unit is foot in the FPS system, foot is also the unit for displacement in FPS system, where one foot is 12 inches and is equal to 0.3048 m.
The CGS system is the Gaussian system, which uses the centimeter, gram, and second as the three basic units for measuring length, mass, and time, respectively. Since length's unit is the centimeter in the CGS system, the centimeter is also the unit for displacement in the CGS system. (1 cm = 0.01 meter)
Apart from the SI Unit of Displacement, there are other displacement units as well. When talking about rotational or angular displacement, some of the usual units used are degrees, revolution, radian, vibration, or cycle, in addition to the meter.
The table below shows the difference between displacement & distance:
Property | Distance | Displacement |
| Definition | The total path covered by an object regardless of direction | The change in position of an object from initial to final position |
| Magnitude | Always positive or zero | Can be positive, negative, or zero |
| Scalar or Vector | Scalar | Vector |
| Path | Follows the actual path taken by the object | Only considers the straight-line distance between initial and final position |
| Example | A car travels 10 km to the east, then 5 km to the west, total distance is 15 km | A car travels 10 km to the east, then 5 km to the west, displacement is 5 km to the east |
| Units | Can be measured in various units, such as meters, kilometers, miles, etc. | Measured in units of length, typically meters (SI unit) |
| Symbol | d or s | Δx or s |
| Representation | Represented by the length of the actual path taken by the object | Represented by the change in position or the vector connecting the initial and final positions. |
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By - Nikita Parmar 2023-08-25 09:48:44 , 11 min readThe SI unit of displacement is meter (m).
Meter is the SI unit of displacement because it is a fundamental unit of length in the International System of Units (SI), which is the most widely used system of measurement globally.
Displacement refers to the change in position of an object from its initial point to its final point, measured in a straight line. Distance, on the other hand, refers to the total length traveled by an object, irrespective of its change in direction. Displacement takes into account the direction of motion, while distance does not.
Displacement is a vector quantity. This means that it has both magnitude (the distance of the displacement) and direction (the change in position). It is represented by an arrow with a specific length and direction.
Displacement can be measured using various methods, such as using a ruler or a tape measure for small distances, or using more precise tools like a laser rangefinder or a GPS device for larger distances.
Some common units used to express displacement, apart from meters, include feet (ft), inches (in), centimeters (cm), kilometers (km), miles (mi), and nautical miles (nmi).
Yes, displacement can be negative. It depends on the reference point chosen for measurement. If the object’s final position is behind the reference point, the displacement will be negative, indicating that the object has moved in the opposite direction.
Displacement is an important concept in physics as it helps describe an object’s change in position, direction, and magnitude of motion. It is used to calculate velocity, acceleration, and other motion-related quantities.
Yes, displacement can be zero. If an object returns to its initial position after moving, its displacement will be zero, indicating that there is no overall change in position.
Displacement is directly related to velocity, as velocity is defined as the rate of change of displacement with respect to time. In other words, velocity is the displacement per unit time, and it gives information about the object’s speed and direction of motion.
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