Suppose that an object travels from one point in space to another. Make a comparison between the displacement and the distance traveled.
A) The displacement can be either greater than, smaller than, or equal to the distance traveled.
B) The displacement is either greater than or equal to the distance traveled.
C) The displacement is either less than or equal to the distance traveled.
D) The displacement is always equal to the distance traveled.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Displacement is a vector quantity that represents the shortest distance from the initial to the final position of an object, and it can have both magnitude and direction. Distance, on the other hand, is a scalar quantity that represents the total path length traveled by the object, regardless of direction. Therefore, displacement can be less than or equal to the distance traveled, but never more, because the shortest path between two points is a straight line, which is what displacement measures, whereas distance accounts for the actual path taken, which can be longer.

Suppose That an Object Travels from One Point in Space