PHYSICS 5A Lecture 2: Physics 5a_ lecture 2_ Position vs
Document Summary
Position - describe where an object is. X(t) x (the often form that is written). Note that x is still dependent on time. X can be positive or negative - this means that there must be a zero somewhere within the 1d or 2d coordinates. It is important to indicate direction with signs. Change in position - also known as displacement. Difference in position and can be any dimensions. Displacement = final position - initial position. Storyline of example: sally is traveling from la to phoenix. Speed : how fast (slow) something is going. When calculating speed, you have to use displacement and because the definition of displacement is change in position, there is already a direction indicated. Velocity: a physical vector quantity; both magnitude and direction are needed to define it. Velocity = change over position/ the change in time. Note that sometimes speed doesn"t change, but velocity is still changing.
