Question

Justify that distance can never be less than displacement with examples

Answer 1

Answer:

As displacement is the shortest distance travelled by a body ~DISTANCE £~ is

Explanation:

the length of the space between two points.

Answer 2

Distance is always greater than or equal to displacement (only when the body is moving in in a straight line).

This is because distance is a scalar quantity, that is, it can not be negative. Since it can not be negative, it's always added and thus becomes greater. Displacement, however is a vector quantity and can be negative. This is the reason why displacement can reduce too, thus making it less than distance.

Distance is the total path covered whereas displacement is shortest path between initial and final points.

For example, suppose a body moves from a point A to a point B and then returns to A.

Here, since final and initial point becomes same (point A), the displacement becomes zero as displacement is shortest path between initial and final points.

Distance however is total path covered. So, as body moves from A to B and then back to A, the total distance covered is twice the length of AB.

In another example, we will see a body moving in a straight line, without turning back. As the body moves farther from the initial point, the displacement increases and so does distance. In this case, distance = displacement.

Thus, distance can never be less than displacement.