What is Distance traveled: Definition and 175 Discussions

Distance is a numerical measurement of how far apart objects or points are. In physics or everyday usage, distance may refer to a physical length or an estimation based on other criteria (e.g. "two counties over"). The distance from a point A to a point B is sometimes denoted as




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A
B

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{\displaystyle |AB|}
. In most cases, "distance from A to B" is interchangeable with "distance from B to A". In mathematics, a distance function or metric is a generalization of the concept of physical distance; it is a way of describing what it means for elements of some space to be "close to", or "far away from" each other.
In psychology and social sciences, distance is a non-numerical measurement; Psychological distance is defined as "the different ways in which an object might be removed from" the self along dimensions such as "time, space, social distance, and hypotheticality.

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  1. brotherbobby

    I Drawback of dimensional analysis - motion in a resistive medium

    Statement from the text : I copy and paste the portion of the text that am struggling to understand and underline in red the claim the author makes which I can't believe to be true. Doubt : As you can read in the first line of the paragraph and in the one I underlined, the author believes that...
  2. C

    Solving Distance Traveled Using Formulas vs. Graphs

    So basically I wonder why the distance traveled by a body in the 5th second gives different results when calculated by the formula for accelerating body(##d=V_0\times t + \frac{1}{2}\times at^{2}##) and when calculated using a graph(formula for the surface of the triangle). Here is the graph of...
  3. A

    I Distance traveled by a ball down a ramp and on a flat path

    Question: A ball is hit with a certain force and it starts with an initial velocity of V m/sec decelerating due to friction along a flat path and then up an inclined ramp coming to stop at the top of the ramp where the ramp becomes flat again (as per diagram A). The total distance traveled along...
  4. Volt582

    Distance traveled by a Ball affected by friction after t seconds

    Hi everyone, i have been trying to find an answer to this problem I have but couldnt find any good answers... (I dont know much about this stuff, but need a formula for a Project I am currently working on). So The problem goes as follows: Assuming we have a ball with a mass of m which is...
  5. T

    How does tire pressure affect distance traveled by a bicycle coasting to a stop?

    Hi, I have been wondering if there is some equation which will allow me to calculate the distance and, or time, necessary for my bike to come to a complete stop knowing only the initial speed and tire pressure, without applying brakes and with negligible air resistance?
  6. M

    How to calculate distance traveled if you know a(v) graph equation?

    I know that you can find the distance traveled by integrating v(t), but I can't find a way to convert a(v) into it. I tried derivating and integrating the a(v) equation, but I don't know what the results mean.
  7. Hananism

    The distance traveled by a molecule at a specific temperature

    I found this equation: and kB and T are Boltzmann constant and temperature, respectively.
  8. rebbe90

    A rolling ball, find distance traveled

    I figured the best way to do this is to focus on the second half of time. We can use the information there to find acceleration and that should make it fairly simple to find distance traveled in the first 5 seconds. Average speed in 5s-10s I found to be 40m/s. My problem is that to find the...
  9. mncyapntsi

    Intro Physics homework help - distance and velocity

    I have tried this problem over 4 times and keep getting the exact same answer, which is incorrect. Could someone please help by pointing out what I did wrong, or letting me know if I am actually on the completely wrong path? Thanks! Have a wonderful day :)
  10. niett

    Distance traveled by the object in n-th second

    Hi! I don't understand why is made the difference between the n second and the (n - 1) second. Can anyone help me? Thanks!
  11. chwala

    Find the distance traveled on the velocity-time graph

    now this is my approach, my interest in on part b distance travelled= area under the graph between time ##t=0## and ##t=50##, area = ##0.5(40+20)10+ (20 × 40) + 0.5(40+20)10+ 0.5×10×20## Area= ##300+800+300+100=1500m## now textbook says i am wrong, where have i made a mistake?
  12. greg_rack

    Distance traveled by a particle in a transverse wave

    Taken into account the transverse nature of the wave, I deduce the particle must move of harmonic motion from maximum amplitude ##A## to negative maximum amplitude ##-A##. The period ##T=\frac{1}{f}## is equal to the time in which a particle travels a distance ##d=3\cdot A##. I then approximated...
  13. S

    Distance traveled and period of a mass - spring - pulley system

    1. How will the motion of M be? I assume wire S is inelastic so will M move downwards but not in straight line? (I mean M moves downwards but because the left side of pulley is connected to S, it will be static and the right side of pulley can go down along the extension of the spring so its...
  14. karush

    MHB 2.7.2 AP Calculus Exam .... distance traveled estimate

    https://www.physicsforums.com/attachments/9542 ok all I did was count squares so about 21
  15. S

    B Reaching the Speed of Light: A Thought Experiment on Halving Distance Traveled

    Hello Ive have a problem with this simple question and hope someone (probably a lot of you) can help. An object is traveling in a straight line between point A and point B. It always only goes half the remaining distance and so it will always be moving forward towards B but would never reach...
  16. B

    Impulse on and the distance traveled by a cannonball

    a) F = J/t F = 4000 N*s / 0.35 s F = 11429 N b) I was going to equate impulse to the change in momentum and solve for v' (final velocity). Then use v' to solve for ΔEk. set ΔEk = Fd and solve for d. (The question never mentioned an angle of inclination, so I thought it would be ok to use W =...
  17. Zelderes

    Distance Traveled by A: y = Vb.∆t2

    I thought like this: y is the distance traveled by A with velocity Vb over a time interval ∆t1, ie y = Vb.∆t2;
  18. E

    B Distance traveled by light accounting for expansion

    Suppose light travels during a time interval of t2 - t1, where the scale factors at t1 and t2 are a(t1) and a(t2) respectively. If we consider an infinitesimally small interval of time dt during this interval, without accounting for expansion we would expect light to travel a distance cdt. How...
  19. A

    How to solve for the distance traveled given force, mass and speed

    Homework Statement A car has a mass of 1500kg. If the driver applies the breaks, the maximum amount of friction force that can be applies without skidding is 7000N. If the car is traveling at 25m/s, what is the shortest distance the car can stop safely? Homework Equations I'm assuming it has...
  20. F

    Distance traveled with linearly increasing kinetic energy

    Homework Statement An object of mass 50 kg gains 20,000,000 joules every second. Devise formulae to find the distance covered at any given point in time, and the time necessary to cover a certain distance. Homework EquationsThe Attempt at a Solution E = 20,000,000 * t V = (E * 2/50)1/2 That's...
  21. DracoMalfoy

    Distance traveled (DeltaD) and acceleration

    Homework Statement What happens to the distance traveled in the same amount of time as an object accelerates?Homework Equations None[/B]The Attempt at a Solution None[/B]
  22. C

    Distance traveled by a rock dropped off of a cliff....

    Homework Statement a rock is dropped off a cliff and falls the first half of the distance to the ground in 2.0 seconds. Homework Equations How long will it take to fall the second half? The Attempt at a Solution i thought if i took the square root of two and then subtracted that from 1/2t...
  23. J

    Calculating the distance traveled by a ball

    Homework Statement The start velocity of the ball is 3m/s upward direction. Ball reaches its highest point after 1.2seconds No air or other friction like that i need to find how far the ball has traveled after 0.4 seconds, and after 2.4 secondsi can't get the right answers, says its supposed to...
  24. J

    Distance Traveled by an object on a pulley

    Hi everybody, I've really been struggling with this basic idea, I have drawn it out about half a dozen times, watched numerous videos, read descriptions, played with applets but I still can't see it. Lets just start with a simple atwood machine with a massless rope and frictionless pulley...
  25. I

    B Distance traveled in the nth second

    ∆sn = sn - s(n-1) In the distance in nth seconds formula above, I don't understand 'sn' and (n-1) means what? Could you explain it, please?
  26. prakhargupta3301

    What is the distance traveled?

    Homework Statement Only (b) part[/B] Homework Equations time of flight= (2⋅u⋅sinθ)/g ---------------- - 1 total distance (range)= u⋅cosθ * time of flight (s=vt) =u⋅cosθ * (2⋅u⋅sinθ)/g...
  27. J

    Distance Traveled by a Laser Pointer in Outer Space

    Homework Statement A 50 g, 420 mw laser pointer is floating in outer space (don’t ask how it got there) at rest with respect to an observer. The laser pointer is turned on and let go. If the battery runs continuously for 250 hours before dying, what is the final speed achieved by the laser...
  28. S

    Kinematics question: free-fall distance traveled during a given second

    Homework Statement An object is released from rest in the gravitational field of the Earth. Air resistance is negligible. How far does the object move during the fourth second of its motion? A. 15 m B. 25 m C. 35 m D. 45 m Homework Equations v = u + at s = ut + 1/2 at^2 v^2=u^+2as...
  29. ciao_potter

    Maximum Distance Traveled with Constant Propulsion

    Lets say that we have a rocket positioned at a certain angle with respect to the horizontal. The rocket is fired, with a constant propulsion force of . Assume that the rocket has a constant mass of kg (the gas used to propel the rocket is negligibly small). What is the optimal angle with...
  30. I

    Finding distance traveled by rebound when measured for surface

    Homework Statement Ball falling from 1m above a slanted surface 5 degrees from horizontal. KE conserved Find distance traveled along slanted surface on its second rebound Homework Equations S=(1/2)(at^2) (V^2)=(u^2)-2as The Attempt at a Solution V before hitting =sqrt(2*9.81) =4.42...
  31. G

    Finding the distance traveled by a steamer

    Homework Statement A steamer starts from rest, the engine exerting a constant propelling force Mf, where M is the mass of the steamer. The resistance of the steamer is assumed to vary as the square of the speed. Show that the distance x traveled in time t is: x = (V^2 /f) ln cosh (f*t/V )...
  32. E

    Braking speed and distance traveled

    Homework Statement The acceleration of a particular car during braking has magnitude bt, where t is the time in seconds from the instant the car begins braking, and b = 2.2 m/s3 .If the car has an initial speed of 60 m/s , how far does it travel before it stops?Homework Equations : [/B] I know...
  33. nysnacc

    Velocity Drag force and distance traveled

    Homework Statement Homework Equations Sum of force a = dv/dt v = integrate a + C The Attempt at a Solution I found the equation in terms of final v, initial v... however, on the right hand side, there is another v, and I think it is time dependent, so I am not sure which value should I...
  34. N

    MHB Word problem: distance traveled

    Here' s my attempt $r=$revolution taken by first $r+c=$ revolutiin taken by 2nd $d=a(r+c)$ distance covered by first (1) $d=br$ distance covered by 2nd (2) $br=a(r+c)$ solving for r $r=\frac{ac}{b-a}$ and plug into (2) I get $a=\frac{abc}{b-a}$ this answers agrees with the key answer in...
  35. J

    Is distance traveled proportional to relativistic momentum?

    Homework Statement Hi I've been modelling a particle traveling in a particle detector that has a momentum vector Px, Py, Pz which we've conveniently been using Pperpendicular (i.e. in the xy plane) and Pz. I can calculate the distance traveled in the xy plane and I need to calculate the...
  36. x2017

    Finding distance traveled up a ramp

    Homework Statement Homework Equations ΣFΔt=mΔv ΣF=ma v=d/t The Attempt at a Solution I already found the following for previous questions: mg=-661.9 mgx=-3594.37 mgy=-649.91 Fx=2192.69 Fy=-1250.69 FF=-365.44 Vf=257.18 ΣFx=-1767.12 ATTEMPT #1 v=d/t d=vt d=(257.18)(10) d=2571.80 (incorrect)...
  37. G

    Finding the total distance traveled by the body at interval

    Homework Statement At time t, the position of a body moving along the s-axis is s= t^3 -12t^2 + 36t m(meters) Find the total distance traveled by the body from t = 0 to t = 3. Homework Equations Derivatives The Attempt at a Solution I got the derivative which is 3t^2 - 24t + 36(meters) I...
  38. Q

    DiffEQ, Snowing Rates, Distance Traveled

    Homework Statement Early one morning it starts to snow. At 7AM a snowplow sets off to clear the road. By 8AM, it has gone 2 miles. It takes an additional 2 hours for the plow to go another 2 miles. Let t = 0 when it begins to snow, let x denote the distance traveled by the plow at time t...
  39. Eclair_de_XII

    Find the distance traveled by a block pushed up a slope.

    Homework Statement "A block is projected up a frictionless inclined plane with initial speed v0 = 3.50 m/s. The angle of incline is θ = 32.0°. (a) How far up the plane does the block go? (b) How long does it take to get there? (c) What is its speed when it gets back to the bottom?" Homework...
  40. faiziqb12

    How does temperature affect distillation in a fractionating column?

    i have got a question with distillation . in distillation as we know the mixture is boiled and the mechanism then goes like substances with high boiling points condense at the bottom and substances with lower boiling points condense on the way to the top. i don't know why , but i am having...
  41. Z

    Finding distance traveled....? Mechanics questions

    Homework Statement A point mass,m, is constrained to move in one-dimension and is acted on buy a force that depends on time in the following way: F[x](t)=ƒ[o]+αt+βt^2 where ƒo,α, and β are constants . In terms of the quantities given, answer the following: If the object starts off at rest at...
  42. S

    Find distance traveled given electric field + vf and vi

    Homework Statement Electric field= 425 N/C Vf = 3.25x10^5 m/S VI=0 The charge is an electron Homework Equations An electron gun had a uniform electric field. The electron starts from rest and is fired from the gun, reaching a speed of (vf given above). How far does the electron move relative...
  43. S

    Equilibrium: max distance traveled; undisturbed tension

    Hi, I need some guidance on the following problem, please. A daredevil attempts to walk the full length of suspended. A 20 kg wrecking ball hangs at the end of this uniform beam of length 4 m and mass 10 kg and is attached to a hinged wall at an angle of 53 degrees. A cable attached to the wall...
  44. moenste

    Distance traveled and the kinetic energy of a sphere

    Homework Statement A 'hammer' thrown in athletics consists of a metal sphere, mass 7.26 kg, with a wire handle attached, the mass of which can be neglected. In a certain attempt it is thrown with an initial velocity which makes an angle of 45 degrees with the horizontal and its flight takes 4...
  45. K

    Distance traveled during a head on collision

    Homework Statement During the head on collision of a 1500kg car moving 20 m/s and a 2400 kg truck moving 12.5 m/s does the car move farther than, a shorter distance than, the same distance as the truck, or is this indeterminate with the given information. Homework Equations...
  46. M

    Distance traveled with acceleration & deceleration

    Homework Statement A man bungee jumps off a cliff and free falls for 3 seconds. The bungee cord stops the jumper in 5 seconds. How far did the man fall in total?Homework Equations X = V0t + 1/2at2 The Attempt at a Solution Xf = X1 + X2 X1 = V1it1 + 1/2a1t12 X1 = 0 * 3 + 1/2 * -9.8 * 32 X1 =...
  47. G

    Age of the observable Universe?

    Forgive my ignorance?.. If we can see 13.8-ish billion light years away how can the universe be the same age? Matter cannot travel at the speed of light, so how are we as far away (in light years) as the universe is old?
  48. G

    Distance traveled given acceleration?

    I have what I'm assuming is a pretty simple question: I'm trying to compare the distance traveled by two vehicles given a time and acceleration. Specifically, I'm comparing a full-sized car (196" in length) that goes 0-60mph in roughly 3 seconds vs. a remote controlled car (27" in length) that...
  49. K

    Energy from food to Mechanical Energy & distance traveled

    Homework Statement An "energy bar" contains 22 g of carbohydrates. If the energy bar was his only fuel, how far could a 68 kg person walk at 5 km/h? Mass(person) = 68 kg; v = 5km/h; 22g carb = 4 Cal/1 carb = 88 Cal; P(power of man walking) = 380W (this is derived from my textbook). Homework...
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