Question

Give an example in which the distance travelled by a particle is larger than the magnitude of its displacement at the same time.

Answer 1

Distance and Displacement:

1. The displacement of an object is the shortest distance between the initial and final point of its path. Displacement can have either positive or negative values.
2. The distance travelled for a moving object is simply the measure of the whole path travelled by the particle. It cannot be negative.
3. Displacement can be equal to or less than the distance travelled. The distance cannot be less than displacement.

Example:

1. Let us consider the example of a particle moving in a circular path, such that it covers one full round.
2. In this case, the distance travelled by the particle will be equal to the circumference of the circular path. In contrast, the magnitude of displacement will be zero, as the initial and final positions of the particle are the same.
3. Hence, we see that the distance travelled by the particle is larger than the magnitude of its displacement at the same time.

Thus, In circular motion Distance$>$Displacement.