Distance and Displacement in PhysicsDistance
Distance is the total length travelled by an object in a given time. It is a scalar quantity, which means it has only magnitude and no direction. The SI unit of distance is meter (m).
Displacement
Displacement is the change in position of an object from its initial position to final position in a given direction. It is a vector quantity which means it has both magnitude and direction. The SI unit of displacement is also meter (m).
Difference
The main difference between distance and displacement is that distance is the total length covered by an object irrespective of its direction, whereas displacement is the change in position of an object in a given direction.
For example, if a person walks 10 meters to the east and then returns back 10 meters to the west, then the distance covered by the person is 20 meters but the displacement is 0 meters as the person ends up at the same position where he/she started.
Another example is if a car travels 20 km to the north and then 10 km to the south, then the distance travelled by the car is 30 km but the displacement is 10 km to the north.
Conclusion
Therefore, distance and displacement are two different concepts in physics and it is important to understand the difference between them to accurately describe the motion of an object.