Re: Displacement

[Herbert H Gottlieb <herbgottlieb@JUNO.COM>]

On Sat, 08 Jan 2000 17:17:32 -0500 Charlie Payne <CoachPayne@AOL.COM>
writes:
.  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?

Displacement involves the distance and direction of a finishing point in
space
with respect to the starting point of a moving object.  If the body moves
and
returns to its starting point,  its final distance from its starting
point is zero
and the direction from its starting point to the same point is either "no
direction"
or "an infinite sum of infinite directions". Both of these choices are
meaningless to the average person but may have a great significance to
those
in love or those under the influence of psychodelic drugs.

Herb Gottlieb from New York City
(Where both students and vectors must be given direction)


Your question is similar to he question regarding the direction in which
a body moves when its velocity is zero.