What is the term for how far the active blade travels during operation?

Displacement refers to the measure of how far an object has moved from its initial position to its final position, taking into account the direction of the movement. In the context of the active blade during operation, displacement specifically captures the linear travel of the blade from its starting point to its operative endpoint. This term effectively encompasses both the length of the travel and its orientation in the operational setting of the device.

Velocity generally describes the speed of something in a given direction and is not directly related to the distance traveled during a specific operation, making it an incorrect choice. Distance refers purely to the total path covered without direction, failing to provide the directional context critical to the mechanism's operation. Amplitude typically refers to the maximum extent of a vibration or oscillation, which does not apply here as blades do not operate under oscillatory motion in the same sense. Therefore, displacement is the most accurate term to describe the travel of the active blade during operation.