The difference between displacement and distance is that distance refers to the total ground covered by an object during its motion, regardless of direction, and is a scalar quantity. Displacement, on the other hand, describes the change in position from the initial point to the final point, includes direction, and is a vector quantity. Distance measures how much ground an object has covered, while displacement measures how far out of place the object is from its starting position, following the shortest path between the points.
Key Differences
- Distance is the total length of the path traveled, without regard to direction; displacement is the straight-line difference between the start and end positions, considering direction.
- Distance is scalar (magnitude only); displacement is vector (magnitude and direction).
- Distance cannot decrease with time and can only be positive; displacement can be positive, negative, or zero.
- Distance depends on the path taken; displacement depends only on the initial and final points.
- Distance is typically represented by "d," displacement by "s" or "Δx".
Example
If a person walks 50 feet east, then 50 feet back west, the distance traveled is 100 feet, but the displacement is zero because the starting and ending points coincide.
