Calculator Suite

Displacement Calculator

Calculate displacement, initial velocity, acceleration, or time using s = ut + ½at²

Displacement Problem Setup
Use s = ut + ½at² to solve for displacement, initial velocity, acceleration, or time

Select which variable you want to calculate

Known Variables

Enter initial velocity in m/s

Enter acceleration in m/s²

Enter time in s

Common Scenarios

Projectile Motion

Object thrown upward - how far does it travel?

Elevator Motion

How far does an accelerating elevator travel?

Falling Object

How long to fall a certain distance?

Quick Presets

Earth Gravity (-9.81 m/s²)
Displacement Formula
Second equation of motion for constant acceleration

The Equation

s=ut+12at2s = ut + \frac{1}{2}at^2

ss = Displacement (change in position)

uu = Initial velocity

tt = Time

aa = Acceleration

Derivation

Starting from average velocity and acceleration:

s=vˉt=u+v2ts = \bar{v} \cdot t = \frac{u + v}{2} \cdot t

Substituting v = u + at:

s=u+(u+at)2t=ut+12at2s = \frac{u + (u + at)}{2} \cdot t = ut + \frac{1}{2}at^2

Key Concepts

Displacement vs Distance: Displacement is the change in position (vector), while distance is the total path length (scalar)

The ½at² Term: Represents the extra distance traveled due to acceleration

Sign Convention: Positive values indicate motion in the chosen positive direction

Applications

Projectile Motion: Calculating how far objects travel

Vehicle Analysis: Stopping distances and acceleration zones

Architecture: Elevator and escalator design

Sports: Track and field performance analysis

Displacement Calculator | Calculator Suite