An austronaut orbits the Earth in the space shuttle, in one complete orbit, is the magnitude of thr displacement the same as the distance traveled?
No, in the case of an astronaut orbiting the Earth in a space shuttle, the magnitude of displacement is not the same as the distance traveled in one complete orbit.
To understand why, let's first define displacement and distance traveled:
1. Displacement: Displacement is a vector quantity that represents the change in position of an object, measuring the straight line distance and direction from the initial position to the final position. It takes into account the starting and ending points.
2. Distance: Distance is a scalar quantity that represents the total length traveled by an object. It measures the actual path taken, regardless of direction.
When an astronaut orbits the Earth in a space shuttle, they move in a circular path due to the gravitational force of the Earth. Although the astronaut completes a full orbit and arrives back at the starting point, the displacement is not zero because the starting and ending points are different. The astronaut's position has changed relative to their initial position.
On the other hand, the distance traveled by the astronaut in one complete orbit is equal to the circumference of the circular path they follow. This can be calculated using the formula:
Distance = 2 * π * radius
where radius represents the distance between the center of the Earth and the orbiting shuttle.
Therefore, the magnitude of displacement is not the same as the distance traveled by the astronaut in one complete orbit around the Earth.