displacement

Everyday

1. Moving something from its usual place or position. tree →
2. (science) The amount of water or other fluid pushed aside when an object is put in it; a floating ship pushes aside its own weight of water. tree →
3. Forcing people to leave their homes, for example because of war or disaster. tree →
4. (science, maths) How far and in what direction something has moved from its starting point. tree →

In the lessons

In science lessons «displacement» explains why things float and how to measure the volume of an odd-shaped object: put it in water and see how much the level rises. In geography and news, displacement of people is caused by floods, wars and droughts. Phrases: «water displacement», «displacement of people», «the displacement method».

Examples

• We measured the stone's volume by water displacement. tree →
• When you get in the bath, the displacement makes the water rise. tree →
• The flood caused the displacement of thousands of families. tree →
• A ship's displacement tells you how heavy it is. tree →
• Displacement is the distance from start to finish in a straight line. tree →
• The earthquake caused the displacement of the rocks. tree →

Note

In maths and science: if water rises from 200 ml to 260 ml when a stone goes in, the stone's volume is 60 cm³ (1 ml = 1 cm³). Displacement differs from distance: walking 10 m away and back gives distance 20 m but displacement 0. Verb: «displace».