What is the total distance travelled? What is the displacement of the object?

Hi there!

Distance and displacement are different.

Distance is WITHOUT direction (scalar quantity)

Displacement TAKES INTO ACCOUNT direction (vector quantity), and is RELATIVE to the initial point.

DISTANCE:

Add up each segment's position:

0 - 2 sec: 0 m

2 - 5 sec: 10 - 4 = 6 m

5 - 6 sec: 0 m

6 - 8 sec: 10 - 2 = 8 m

8 - 9 sec: 0 m

9 - 12 sec: 5 - 2 = 3 m

Add up:

6 + 8 + 3 = 17 m

DISPLACEMENT:

To find displacement, simply look at the position at the final point (t = 12 sec) and compare to the initial position:

At t = 12: Position = 5 m

At t = 0: Position = 4 m

5 - 4 = 1 m