Question

Which of the following statements is true for displacement?

• A. It cannot be zero.
• B. Its magnitude is greater than the distance travelled by the object.
• C. It is a scalar quantity.
• D. Its magnitude is less than or equal to the distance travelled by the object.

Answer 1

Answer: (A), (D)

The correct options are
A

It cannot be zero.

D

Its magnitude is less than or equal to the distance travelled by the object.

Displacement can be zero, for example when a person moves in a circle and comes back to the starting point, his displacement is zero.

The magnitude of displacement can be equal to or less than the distance travelled, it cannot be greater than the distance travelled. Displacement is the shortest distance between the initial and the final position of the moving object in a given time interval of time in the direction from the initial to the final position of the object. Hence, displacement depends on the direction of motion, thus, it is a vector quantity.