Rectilinear Motion
If the coordinate system is oriented such that the x-axis coincides with the line of motion, the general equations for position, displacement, velocity, and acceleration simplify to
Position | |
Displacement | |
Velocity | |
Acceleration |
Velocity acts in the same direction as displacement.
Accelerations acts colinearly with velocity.
If v and a have the same sign, then v is increasing (particle is accelerating).
If v and a have opposite signs, then v is decreasing (particle is decelerating).
Distance traveled (a scalar) is a measure of the total length of a particle's path.
Displacment (a vector) is a measure of the difference between the beginning and the end of a particle's part.