Question

Differentiate between distance and displacement.

July 22, 2024

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.

💡 Some Related Questions

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

(i) Which of the bodies is moving with (a) constant speed? (b) constant acceleration? (c) non-uniform acceleration? (ii) Which of the bodies covers (a) maximum distance in 3rd second? (b) minimum distance in 3rd second?

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