Definition:Displacement
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Definition
The (physical) displacement of a body is a measure of its position relative to a given point of reference in a particular frame of reference.
Displacement is a vector quantity, so it specifies a magnitude and direction from the point of reference.
In Cartesian coordinates, the direction is implicit, as it occurs as a result of the combined distances from the various axes of the frame of reference.
Dimension
The dimension of displacement is length $\mathsf L$.
Units
SI
The SI unit of displacement is the metre.
CGS
The CGS unit of displacement is the centimetre $\mathrm {cm}$.
FPS
The FPS unit of displacement is the foot $\mathrm f$.
Also see
- Definition:Position Vector: the displacement of a point from the origin
Sources
- 1921: C.E. Weatherburn: Elementary Vector Analysis ... (previous) ... (next): Chapter $\text I$. Addition and Subtraction of Vectors. Centroids: Definitions: $1$. Scalar and vector quantities
- 1937: Eric Temple Bell: Men of Mathematics ... (previous) ... (next): Chapter $\text{VI}$: On the Seashore
- 1951: B. Hague: An Introduction to Vector Analysis (5th ed.) ... (previous) ... (next): Chapter $\text I$: Definitions. Elements of Vector Algebra: $1$. Scalar and Vector Quantities
- 1960: M.B. Glauert: Principles of Dynamics ... (previous) ... (next): Chapter $1$: Vector Algebra: $1.1$ Definition of a Vector
- 1966: Isaac Asimov: Understanding Physics ... (previous) ... (next): $\text {I}$: Motion, Sound and Heat: Chapter $3$: The Laws of Motion: Forces and Vectors
- 1975: Patrick J. Murphy: Applied Mathematics Made Simple (revised ed.) ... (previous) ... (next): Chapter $1$: Mechanics: $(1)$ Rigid Bodies
- 2014: Christopher Clapham and James Nicholson: The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Mathematics (5th ed.) ... (previous) ... (next): Entry: displacement