Distance

Distance is how far one thing is from another thing. Distance is the measure of the space between two things.

Examples of Distance

• One ball is 5 feet from another ball. The distance between the two balls is 5 feet.
• John walks north at 6 kilometers per hour for one hour. John has walked the distance of 6 kilometers.
• A circle is the curved line. Each point on the circle is the same distance from the center of the circle.

Displacement

Distance is different from displacement. Displacement is the difference between your starting point and your finishing point.

Example of Displacement

A and B are 1 metre apart. Tom walks from A to B. Then Tom walks from B back to A. The distance Tom walked is 2 metres. Tom's displacement is 0 metres, because Tom started at A and finished at A.