AQA GCSE Physics (8463), Higher tier · Forces › Forces and motion › Describing motion along a line
Practise Distance and displacement. 13 exam-style questions on this subtopic, at up to four difficulty levels, with full mark schemes and a progress tracker. Free, no account needed.
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A runner completes exactly one lap of a 400 m running track and finishes where they started. What is the distance travelled by the runner?
400 m
A robot arm moves a component 15 cm to the left, then 15 cm back to the right, returning exactly to its starting position. Calculate the total distance moved by the component.
30 cm
Is distance a scalar quantity or a vector quantity?
Scalar.
Sample questions
Written for this site in the style of AQA exam questions. They are not taken from real past papers.
Question 1Easy4 marks
A runner completes exactly one lap of a 400 m running track and finishes where they started.
(a) What is the distance travelled by the runner?[1]
(b) What is the displacement of the runner at the end of the lap?[1]
(c) Which statement describes displacement? Tick (✓) one box.[1]
The total length of the path travelled
The distance in a straight line from the start point to the finish point, and its direction
The speed of an object in a given direction
The distance travelled in one second
(d) Is displacement a scalar quantity or a vector quantity?[1]
Show the answer and mark scheme
(a)Answer: 400 m
400 (m)
(b)Answer: 0 m
0 / zero
(c)Answer: The distance in a straight line from the start point to the finish point, and its direction
(d)Answer: Vector.
vector
Question 2Medium6 marks
(a) A dog runs 25 m due east to fetch a ball, then runs 10 m due west. Calculate the total distance the dog runs.[1]
(b) Give the displacement of the dog from its starting point.[2]
(c) A hiker walks 3.0 km due north and then 4.0 km due east. Use a scale drawing to determine the magnitude of the hiker’s displacement from the starting point.[2]
(d) Use your scale drawing to determine the direction of the hiker’s displacement as a bearing (an angle measured clockwise from north).[1]
Show the answer and mark scheme
(a)Answer: 35 m
35 (m)
(b)Answer: 15 m due east m
15 (m)
(due) east
(c)Answer: 5.0 km
correct scale drawing: right-angled triangle with sides of 3.0 km (north) and 4.0 km (east) to a stated scale
5.0 (km) (allow 4.8–5.2)
(d)Answer: 053°
053° (allow 050°–056°)
Question 3Hard6 marks
A student stands on a balcony and throws a ball vertically upwards. The ball rises 4.5 m above the student’s hand. It then falls past the balcony and lands on the ground 6.0 m below the student’s hand.
(a) Calculate the total distance travelled by the ball between leaving the student’s hand and landing.[2]
(b) Give the size and direction of the displacement of the ball from the student’s hand when the ball lands.[2]
(c) At one instant during its flight, the displacement of the ball from the student’s hand is zero but the distance it has travelled is not zero. Describe where the ball is at this instant, and give the distance it has travelled.[2]
Show the answer and mark scheme
(a)Answer: 15 m
4.5 + 4.5 + 6.0
15 (m)
(b)Answer: 6.0 m downwards m
6.0 (m)
downwards
(c)Answer: Level with the student’s hand on the way down, having travelled 9.0 m.