4.5.6.1 Displacement

Spec reference: 4.5.6 (subtopic).

What you need to know

• displacement of one metre.
• 1 joule = 1 newton metre
• A man’s car has broken down and he is
• pushing it to the side of the road. He pushes
• the car with a force of 160N and the car is
• moved a total of 8m.
• Calculate the work done.
• work done = force × distance

Self-assessment (checklist)

• I can give a definition for distance.
• I can state whether distance is a scalar or vector
• I can give a definition for displacement.
• I can state whether displacement is a scalar or vector
• I can express displacement in terms of both magnitude

Key steps (method)

• Identify what the question is testing and use the correct equation/definition.
• Show substitutions and units clearly.

Common mistakes

• Unit conversions, rearranging errors, or quoting a law without applying it.