I am studying arclength for a path c(t)=(x(t),y(t),z(t)). I understand that we integrate the derivative of speed etc. My question is, geometrically, what is |c(t)|? c(t) is a formula of displacement, so my naive interpretation is that taking its magnitude would yield distance travelled, but this clearly isn't the case. As a follow-up, what is the difference between the rate of change of displacement and the rate of change of distance?

Dillan Valenzuela

Dillan Valenzuela

Open question

2022-08-18

I am studying arclength for a path c(t)=(x(t),y(t),z(t)). I understand that we integrate the derivative of speed etc.
My question is, geometrically, what is |c(t)|? c(t) is a formula of displacement, so my naive interpretation is that taking its magnitude would yield distance travelled, but this clearly isn't the case.
As a follow-up, what is the difference between the rate of change of displacement and the rate of change of distance?

Answer & Explanation

wietselau

wietselau

Beginner2022-08-19Added 28 answers

If you look at the formula for | c ( t ) | , then it's equal to
x ( t ) 2 + y ( t ) 2 + z ( t ) 2
which measures distance from the origin at time t according to the distance formula (this corresponds to the intuition that displacement is like a "signed/vector form of distance"). Rate of change of distance from the origin would be d d t | c ( t ) | and would be a scalar, whereas c′(t) as rate of change of distance would correspond to velocity and is a vector.
Maia Pace

Maia Pace

Beginner2022-08-20Added 3 answers

"My naive interpretation is that | c ( t ) | is distance travelled."
| c ( t ) | is distance from the reference point, and is an instantaneous quantity (t represents a moment in time).
In contrast, distance travelled is measured over a time interval, say, [ t 1 , t 2 ], and equals
t 1 t 2 | v ( t ) | d t = t 1 t 2 | d c ( t ) d t | d t = t 1 t 2 ( d x d t ) 2 + ( d y d t ) 2 + ( d z d t ) 2 d t x 2 + y 2 + z 2 = | c ( t ) | .

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