Displaçament

Displaçament is a term used in physics to describe the change in position of an object. It is a vector quantity, meaning it has both magnitude and direction. The magnitude of displaçament is the straight-line distance between the initial and final positions, regardless of the path taken. For example, if an object moves from point A to point B, its displaçament is represented by an arrow pointing directly from A to B.

Unlike distance, which is a scalar quantity measuring the total length of the path traveled, displaçament only considers the net change in location. If an object starts at a certain point and returns to that same point, its displaçament is zero, even if it traveled a significant distance. This distinction is crucial in understanding motion.

To calculate displaçament, one subtracts the initial position vector from the final position vector. Mathematically, if the initial position is r_i and the final position is r_f, the displaçament vector, denoted as Δr, is given by Δr = r_f - r_i. The units of displaçament are the same as those of length, typically meters in the International System of Units (SI). Understanding displaçament is fundamental to kinematics and the study of mechanics.