Question

Differentiate between distance and displacement.

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Answer

Distance Displacement
1. It is the length of the actual path covered by an object, irrespective of its direction of motion. Displacement is the shortest distance between the initial and final positions of an object in a given direction.
2. Distance is a scalar quantity. Displacement is a vector quantity.
3. Distance covered can never be negative. It is always positive or Zero. Displacement may be positive, negative or zero.
4. Distance between two given points may be same or different for different path chosen. Displacement between two given points is always the same.

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