Question

Does the displacement of a particle depend on the actual path along which the particle moves between two points?

Answer 1

Displacement and distance:

1. The displacement of a particle is the shortest distance between the initial and final point of its path. Displacement can have either positive or negative values.
2. Displacement can be equal to or less than the distance travelled.
3. The distance travelled by a particle is the length of the actual path between the initial and final positions of a moving particle in the given time interval.
4. No, a particle's displacement is not dependent on the actual path it takes.

Thus, the displacement of a particle does not depend on the actual path along which the particle moves between two points.