Distance and Displacement

Jul 25, 2022, 16:45 IST

Distance and Displacement

The position of a moving object changes with respect to time. The length of the actual path covered by a body in a time interval is called distance, while the difference between the final and initial positions of an object is called displacement. The position of a particle in a particular reference frame is given by a position vector drawn from the origin of that frame to the particle.

Distance is a scalar quantity which has magnitude only. Displacement is a vector quantity which has both magnitude and direction. Suppose Physics Wallah is at a distance of 5 km from your house and you come to Physics Wallah and go back to your house. Although you have travelled a distance of 10 km but your displacement is zero (null vector). If a body is moving in a circular path, then after one rotation its displacement will be zero but the distance travelled will be equal to the circumference of the circle. Thus, in general, magnitude of displacement is not equal to the distance travelled. However, it can be so if the motion is along a straight line without change in direction.

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