Listers:
Although this may be trivial, I have a question concerning displacement.
Many of our textbooks define displacement as a vector with distance as
magnitude and some direction from a designated point, or as simply a change
in position. I understand that if a body returns precisely to the original
reference point, then its displacement is zero. My question concerns
direction. If a vector must have direction, and displacement is a vector,
how should one describe the displacement of a body that returns to its
starting point? I am a non-physics major who'd appreciate a kind response!
Thanks.
Charlie Payne
Northern HS
Durham, NC