Question

What is the difference between distance and displacement

Answer 1

distance is the total path travelled by an object where as displacement is the shortest path travelled by an object.

Answer 2

Distance:-

Distance is the length of the actual path traversed by a body, irrespective of its direction of motion.

Distance between two given given points may be same or different paths chosen.

It is a scalar quantity.

Distance covered is always positive or zero.

Displacement:-

Displacment is the shortest distance between the initial and final positions of a body in a given direction.

Displacement between two given points is always same.

It is a vector quantity.

Displacement covered may be positive, negative or zero.