Practice Displacement in Physics

Use these practice problems to test your method after reviewing the concept explanation and worked examples.

Quick Recap

The change in position from a starting point to an ending point, including both magnitude and direction.

How far you are from where you started, in a straight line. Not the path you took.

Example 1

easy
A person walks 4 \text{ m} east and then 3 \text{ m} north. What is the total distance traveled and the displacement?

Example 2

medium
A runner completes one full lap around a 400 \text{ m} circular track. What is the runner's displacement and total distance?

Example 3

easy
A car drives 100 \text{ m} north and then 100 \text{ m} south. What is the displacement?

Example 4

medium
A hiker walks 3 \text{ km} north, then 4 \text{ km} east. What is the hiker's total distance walked and their displacement (magnitude and direction)?