Question

Explain why distance is scalar but displacement is vector

Answer 1

Hi

hope u know the difference between scalar and vector quantity .

1)scalar
which have only magnitude not direction .
distance is scalar quantity because it have only magnitude
how?
let suppose we wanna school from ur home ,
how many path u have to reach ur school?
it have many path, all these are distance which have no particular direction . u can choose any one.

2)vector
both have magnitude and direction .

displacement is vector quantity .

why?
when u go to ur school then ur dad order to u go on this path to reach ur school , that is the particular path ,
or , it must be choose short path to reach ur school.
so displacement is nothing but it is the short distance between two points ,so it have particular direction , so it a vector .

hope it help