← all cardsTopic 8 · Oscillations · Definitions
Displacement, x
● VERBATIM — examined word-for-wordThe distance of the particle from its equilibrium position in a stated direction.
What this actually means
Same word as in waves, same discipline: measured from equilibrium, in a stated direction, with the sign carrying meaning.
'From its equilibrium position' is the phrase that earns. 'From the start' or 'distance travelled' earn nothing.
Everything else in SHM is built on x: velocity and acceleration are its derivatives, and every energy formula is a function of it.
Prove it — watch it be true
- Watch the x–t graph: it oscillates about zero
- Zero is the equilibrium position, not the release point
- Above and below equilibrium carry opposite signs