A car travels from point A to point B in a zigzag path, covering a total distance of 200 meters. If the shortest straight-line distance between A and B is 120 meters, which statement best describes the car’s distance and displacement?
The distance is 200 meters; the displacement is 120 meters
Distance is the total length of the actual path travelled, irrespective of direction. Here the car follows a zigzag route of 200 meters, so the distance is 200 meters.
Displacement is the shortest straight-line separation between the start and end points, taken with direction. The straight-line gap from A to B is 120 meters, so the displacement is 120 meters.
Because the path is not straight, the distance (200 m) is greater than the displacement (120 m), which is exactly what the definitions require.
Hence, the answer is the distance is 200 meters; the displacement is 120 meters.
Similar Questions
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Important Questions from Speed and Velocity
The given equation provides the property of the motion of an object, traversing a circular path. What is ‘v’ in this equation?
ac = v2/R
The basic unit of speed of an object is ______.
Which of the following quantities specifies its speed with direction?
- Which of the following represents non-uniform linear velocity?
- Which of the following describes the nature of the average speed?
