Which of the following best describes a difference between $distance$ and $displacement$?

• A. $Distance$ is a scalar quantity representing the total path length traveled, while $displacement$ is a vector quantity representing the straight-line change in position from the initial to the final point.
• B. Both $distance$ and $displacement$ are vector quantities.
• C. $Displacement$ measures the total ground covered, while $distance$ measures only the straight-line separation between two points.
• D. $Distance$ is always less than $displacement$ for any motion.

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand that distance and displacement are both measures related to motion, but they describe different aspects.
2. Distance is a scalar quantity, meaning it only has magnitude and represents the total length of the path traveled by an object, regardless of direction.
3. Displacement is a vector quantity, meaning it has both magnitude and direction, and it represents the straight-line change in position from the starting point to the ending point.
4. Recognize that because displacement is a vector, it can be positive, negative, or zero depending on direction, while distance is always positive or zero.
5. Summarize the difference: distance measures the entire path length traveled (scalar), whereas displacement measures the shortest straight-line distance between initial and final positions (vector).