Is is possible to go for a trip (in one dimension) where the total displacement is zero, but your average velocity is non-zero?

In physics, displacement is a vector quantity that refers to the change in position of an object. Unlike distance, which is a scalar and only considers the magnitude of how much ground an object has covered, displacement takes direction into account. This means that if you start from your house, walk to the store, and then return to your house, your total displacement is zero because you end up at your starting point.
Displacement is crucial for understanding motion. It helps us determine how far and in what direction an object has moved from its original position. For instance:

• Displacement is zero if the starting and ending points are the same.
• It can be positive or negative depending on the direction of movement.
• It is different from distance, which does not consider direction.

Average velocity is another important concept in physics. It’s defined as the total displacement divided by the total time taken. Unlike average speed, which considers the total distance traveled divided by the total time, average velocity is concerned with the net change in position. The formula for average velocity is given by:
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• It can be zero if the total displacement is zero, regardless of how much distance was covered.


• Units of average velocity are usually in meters per second (m/s).

Average velocity is especially useful for understanding motion in a particular direction. For example, if you walked in a straight line back and forth but ended at your starting point, your average velocity would be zero because your total displacement is zero even though you walked a considerable distance.

One-dimensional motion refers to movement along a straight line. This simplifies many calculations since it involves only one spatial dimension. Here, we consider only two directions: positive and negative. This type of motion is common in many elementary physics problems and helps build a strong foundation for understanding more complex motion.

• Examples include walking back and forth along a hallway, driving straight on a highway, or moving an object along a straight path.
• In one-dimensional motion, you can use simple linear equations to describe the movement.
• It allows students to focus on the basic principles without getting bogged down by multiple dimensions.

Using one-dimensional motion helps in understanding key concepts like displacement, distance, speed, and velocity before moving on to more complex scenarios involving two or three dimensions. For instance, if you walk from point A to point B and then back to point A, understanding this as one-dimensional motion makes it easier to grasp that your total displacement is zero, and thus, your average velocity is also zero.