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. |
The table given below shows distance (n cm) travelled by bodies A, B and C. Read this data carefully and answer the following questions. Distance (in cm) covered by different bodies.
Time in (s) | Body (A) | Body (B) | Body (C) |
1stSecond | 20 | 20 | 20 |
2ndSecond | 20 | 36 | 60 |
3rdSecond | 20 | 24 | 100 |
4thSecond | 20 | 30 | 140 |
5thSecond | 20 | 48 | 180 |