Tag
Scalar
Entries tagged scalar.
2 entries
Concept
Position, distance, and displacement
Position is where something is relative to a chosen origin, distance is the total length of the path travelled, and displacement is the straight, directed change between start and end, and the three are related but never interchangeable.
7 min
ConceptSpeed and velocity
Speed is how fast the distance odometer is ticking, a plain number with no direction, while velocity is the rate of change of displacement, a directed quantity that can be zero, positive, or negative even while speed stays constant.
6 min