Here in this rectangle, the distance between A to B is 5 cm, B to C is 3 cm and D to E is 2. Then the total distance is traveled by an object of this path is 15 cm while displacement is 1 cm.

Distance:

  • Total length traveled.
  • Scalar quantity (magnitude only).
  • Doesn’t care about direction.

Displacement:

  • Shortest distance between start and end points.
  • Vector quantity (magnitude and direction).
  • Includes direction (e.g., north, south).

Key Points:

  • Distance can never be negative or zero.
  • Displacement can be positive, negative, or zero.
  • If an object returns to its starting point, its displacement is zero, but the distance traveled is not.