Math Is Fun Forum

paulb203

Member

Registered: 2023-02-24

Posts: 285

Displacement

Although displacement is regarded as a vector quantity is there one exception where it is a scalar quantity, i.e, when one undertakes a round trip and the displacment is zero?
(There is no direction to give, just the magnitude, i.e, zero)

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Bob

Administrator

Registered: 2010-06-20

Posts: 10,597

Re: Displacement

Hmm. Good point. I've never thought about that before.  The nul vector is definitely a vector. If a vector had components x and y then the angle that vector makes with the positive x axis is arctan(y/x).

If x = y = 0 then y/x is indeterminate.  So I guess it has a direction but nobody knows, or will know, what it is. 

There's plenty of things you can work out so I think just file this away with Schrodinger's cat.

Bob

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Children are not defined by school ...........The Fonz
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paulb203

Member

Registered: 2023-02-24

Posts: 285

Re: Displacement

Thanks, Bob.
Filed away

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Prioritise. Persevere. No pain, no gain.