Which statement correctly classifies distance and displacement?
Both distance and displacement are scalar quantities.
Both distance and displacement are vector quantities.
Distance is a scalar quantity, and displacement is a vector quantity.
Distance is a vector quantity, and displacement is a scalar quantity.
Distance is a scalar quantity, and displacement is a vector quantity.
The correct statement that classifies distance and displacement is:
"Distance is a scalar quantity, and displacement is a vector quantity."
To understand why this statement is correct, we need to have a clear understanding of what distance and displacement are.
Distance refers to the total length traveled by an object, without considering its direction. It is a scalar quantity because it only has a magnitude (or size), but does not have a specific direction. For example, if you go for a walk in a circular path and end up back where you started, the distance covered would be the total length of the path walked.
On the other hand, displacement refers to the change in position of an object in a particular direction. It is a vector quantity because it has both magnitude and direction. Displacement can be thought of as the straight-line distance between the initial and final positions of an object. For example, if you go for a walk in a circular path and end up back where you started, the displacement would be zero because your initial and final positions are the same.
So, distance is a scalar quantity because it only has magnitude, while displacement is a vector quantity because it has both magnitude and direction.
for distance in your car you only need an odometer
for displacement you also need a compass
vectors have magnitude (like distance in miles), and direction, (like north).
If you go north 10 miles then south 10 miles your distance is 20 but your displacement is ZERO