Year 9 Science · Unit 4 · Lesson 11
Apply Worksheet
Learning Goals
Compare two — Distance vs Displacement
Complete the comparison table using your lesson knowledge. Fill in both columns for each feature.
| Feature | Distance | Displacement |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | ||
| Scalar or vector? | ||
| Is direction included? | ||
| What measures it? (tool) | ||
| What does GPS use? | ||
| Example in sport |
Real-world context
A Sydney Ferry departs Circular Quay and sails north to Manly Wharf, a distance of 11.5 km. It then reverses course and docks at Kirribilli Wharf, which is approximately 2 km west of Circular Quay. The captain needs both distance and displacement data to run the service safely.
(a) Calculate the total distance the ferry has travelled from Circular Quay to Manly and then to Kirribilli. Show your working. (Assume the Circular Quay–Kirribilli leg is approximately 2.5 km.)
(b) What is the ferry's displacement from Circular Quay to Kirribilli? State both the magnitude and direction. (Kirribilli is approximately 2 km west of Circular Quay.)
(c) Explain why a ferry captain needs both the distance data (total path) and the displacement data (straight-line from start to current position). Give one specific reason for each.
Wrap Up
In one sentence, what was the main idea of this lesson?