MEMBERS: ___________________________________________ SECTION: G7 __________________
Distance and Displacement Lab
Direction: Follow the instructions given below using a meter stick. Use the space provided to sketch
your path.
ACTIVITY 1:
1. Place a piece of tape where you will begin your walk outside. This tape marks the origin.
2. Ask one member in your group to walk 10 steps
forward and stop. Using the meter stick, have your group
mate measure the distance you walked.
Write that distance here: _______meters.
3. Now turn 180 degrees from where you are standing
and walk 5 steps and stop. Using the meter stick, have
your groupmate measure the distance you walked.
Write that distance here: _______meters.
4. Now turn 180 degrees from where you are and walk
20 steps and stop. Using the meter stick, have your
groupmate measure the distance you walked.
Write that distance here: _______meters.
5. Finally, have your groupmate measure how far you are from the origin.
Write that measurement and the direction from initial to final position here: ___________________
(This is your measured displacement.)
6. Figure out the distance and calculated displacement you walked.
Add all measurements in procedures 2 to 4 to find the distance: _____________ meters
7. Add all forward measurements and subtract all backwards measurements to find the
calculated displacement: _____________________________ (Don’t forget to write the units with direction)
Did your measured displacement match your calculated displacement?
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Direction: Follow the instructions given below using a meter stick. Use the graph provided to sketch
your path.
ACTIVITY 2
1. Find your piece of tape again and walk 10 steps NORTH and measure how far you walked.
Write it here: ________________ meters
2. Turn 90° left (due WEST), walk 15 steps and measure how far you walked.
Write it here: ______________ meters.
3. Turn 90° left (due SOUTH), walk 10 steps and measure how far you walked.
Write it here: ____________meters.
4. Turn 90° left (due EAST), walk 20 steps and measure how far you walked.
Write it here: _____________meters.
5. Have your groupmate measure how far you are from the origin.
Write that measurement and the direction from initial to final position here: _____________________________
(This is your measured displacement.)
6. Now figure out your distance and write it below. Add up the measurements you wrote in numbers 1 to 4 in
ACTIVITY 2. Distance = _________________ meters
7. Now figure out your calculated displacement and write it below. Use the graph below to sketch your path,
using a point on the graph to represent the end point of each segment of the path. Use the graph to determine
total displacement. (Be sure to include both magnitude and direction – N, E, S, or W, relative to the origin.)
Hint: Plot the origin somewhere in the lower right hand corner of the graph, leaving room to both the left and
right on the graph. Make each square of the graph equal to one METER.
Calculated Displacement = ______________________________(Don’t forget the units and direction)
Does your calculated displacement match your measured displacement? _________________________
POST QUESTIONS: (At least 2 sentences each.)
1. Why is the displacement different from the total distance traveled in your activity? Explain using your
recorded measurements.
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2. If a person starts and ends at the same position, what will be their displacement? How does this
compare to their total distance traveled?
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3. Explain why distance is a scalar & displacement is a vector quantity.
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CONCLUSION: (At least 3 sentences)
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