By Zencalcy Editorial TeamLast reviewed About us
Displacement is the straight-line change in position, including direction, while distance is the length of the path actually travelled. This calculator handles both the position-difference definition and the constant-velocity case.
Find displacement from positions or from steady velocity.
Δx = x₂ − x₁ Δx = v · t
Displacement can be negative. Its magnitude is the straight-line distance between the start and end points, not the path length.
| Symbol | Meaning |
|---|---|
| x₁, x₂ | Initial and final positions, in metres. |
| v | Constant velocity, in metres per second. |
| t | Time interval, in seconds. |
| Δx | Displacement, in metres. |
Moving from x = 3 m to x = 10 m gives a displacement of +7 m. At a steady 5 m/s for 4 s, the displacement is 20 m.
Continue with the Free Fall Calculator, Free Fall with Air Resistance Calculator, or the Friction Calculator — or browse more kinematics tools and all physics calculators.
Yes. A negative value means the final position is on the negative side of the chosen origin.
Results are computed from the standard equations of classical mechanics. Unit conversions use the SI definitions published by NIST. Air resistance is ignored unless the calculator names a drag model.
Reference material used to build and check this calculator:
Last reviewed: September 2026. See how we build and check every tool on the about page.
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Content updated: September 2026