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PeacefulPumpkin8091

Hello,

Maybe my question wasn't clear enough. Delta s is a y variable for position measured in meters. Why would some text books use Delta x instead? It's as if they are referring to the x axis.

Thanks

AnanasSuperbe6429

Hi PeacefulPumpkin8091,

In many physics textbooks, Δx is commonly used to represent displacement, especially in one-dimensional motion along the horizontal axis. However, Δs is a more general notation for displacement, often used when movement occurs in multiple dimensions or when referring to the magnitude of displacement rather than just a change along the x-axis.

Some textbooks might use Δx instead of Δs because they assume motion is along the x-axis by default, especially when introducing kinematics. This can create confusion if position is typically represented on the y-axis in your textbook. However, it's mostly a notational choice, and both symbols can mean the same thing depending on the context.

Hope it clarifies your question :)

Sandrine