Question

Plot the displacement-time graph and calculate the total displacement in the interval 1s to 5s.If a body is moving in a straight line and its displacement at various instants of time is given in the following table:

Time(s)	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
Displacement(m)	2	6	12	12	12	18	22	24

A) 18 m
B) 16 m
C) 12 m
D) 10 m

Answer 1

Hint:Displacement is the shortest distance from the initial to the final position of the body – magnitude wise. Direction of displacement is considered from the initial position to the final position.
The S.I unit of displacement is metre(m)

Step By Step Solution:
Graph will be:

• (a) From the graph, it is clear that at time 1s the initial displacement is 6m and at 5s final displacement is 18m.

(b) So, the total displacement in the interval 1s to 5s is:

Final Displacement- initial Displacement

    18 m – 6 m = 12m

(c) Hence the correct answer is 12m.

Note:Distance is the length of the pathway moved by any body or object at a particular time, scalar quantity, dependent on the path followed by the object, since it has magnitude only, the value is always positive and can be more than or equal to the magnitude of displacement. While displacement is the distance covered by an object in a particular direction at a certain time, vector quantity, independent of the path followed by the object, since it has both magnitude and direction, it value can be positive or negative and can be less than or equal to the distance, but never greater than the distance .