Distance vs Displacement

Definition:
Distance refers to the amount of ground an object has covered during its motion. It is a scalar quantity, i.e. it has only magnitude and no direction. On the other hand, displacement refers to the distance between the initial and the final position of an object. It is a vector quantity, i.e. it has both magnitude and direction.

Calculation:
Distance can be calculated by adding all the distances covered during the motion. For example, if an object covers 10 meters in the first second, 8 meters in the second second, and 12 meters in the third second, then the total distance covered by the object is 30 meters. Displacement, on the other hand, can be calculated by subtracting the initial position of the object from the final position. For example, if an object moves from point A to point B, and the distance between the two points is 20 meters, then the displacement of the object is 20 meters in the direction of point B.

Representation:
Distance is represented by a scalar quantity, which means it has only magnitude and no direction. It is represented by a number and a unit, such as 10 m or 20 km. Displacement, on the other hand, is represented by a vector quantity, which means it has both magnitude and direction. It is represented by an arrow, which points from the initial position to the final position of the object. The length of the arrow represents the magnitude of the displacement, and the direction of the arrow represents the direction of the displacement.

Examples:
An object moving in a circular path covers a distance of 10 meters in one round. However, its displacement is zero, as it returns to its initial position. Another example is a car moving from point A to point B and then back to point A. The distance covered by the car is the sum of the distances covered in both directions, while the displacement is zero, as the car returns to its initial position.

Conclusion:
Distance and displacement are two important concepts in physics that are often confused. Distance refers to the amount of ground an object has covered during its motion, while displacement refers to the distance between the initial and the final position of the object. The main difference between the two is that distance is a scalar quantity, while displacement is a vector quantity.

The total path length covered by an object from its initial to final position is called distance and it is a scalar quantity whereas the shortest path length covered from its initial to final position is called displacement and it is a vector quantity.