Distance differs from displacement in that distance
- A. is a vector and displacement is a scalar
- B. is the total path length travelled, while displacement is the straight line change in position
- C. is always smaller than displacement
- D. is measured in different units
Explanation
Walking once round a circular track leaves the displacement at zero while the distance equals the circumference, so distance can exceed displacement but never be less than it. Distance is the scalar and displacement the vector, which is the reverse of the first option. Both are measured in metres.