Question

Is it possible for the displacement to be greater than the distance traveled? Explain.

Answer 1

Answer:

It is not possible for the magnitude of displacement of an object to be greater than the distance that this object travelled.

Explanation:

The displacement of an object is difference between its final and initial position. On the other hand, the distance that an object travelled would be equal to the length of the path that this object takes when it moved from its initial position to the final position.

The distance an object travelled and the magnitude (length) of its displacement each represent the length of a path between the initial and final position:

• The distance travelled can represent the length of any path between these two points.
• On the other hand, the magnitude of displacement can only represent the length of the line segment that directly connects the two points.

On a flat surface, the shortest path between two points is always going to be a straight line segment connecting the two points. If these two points are the initial and final position of the object, the magnitude of displacement would simply represent the length of that straight line segment. It is not possible for the distance travelled to be any shorter than the shortest path between the two points. Therefore, the displacement of an object would always be less than or equal to the distance it travelled.