Measurement, Position, Distance and Displacement

Contents / notes

• Concept of displacement.
• Distinction between distance and displacement.
• Concept of position and coordinates.
• Frame of reference.

Candidate objectives

• Use strings, metre rules, engineering calipers, vernier calipers and micrometer screw gauges for measurement.
• Note the degree of accuracy of measurements.
• Identify distance travelled in a specified direction.
• Use a compass and protractor to locate points and directions.
• Use Cartesian coordinate systems to locate positions in the x-y plane.
• Plot graphs and draw inferences from graphs.