Question

An object has moved through a distance. Can it have zero displacements? If yes support your answer with an example.

Answer 1

1. Yes, if the object has moved through a distance, it surely can have zero displacements. As displacement is a vector quantity depending on starting and ending position, and not the actual path.
2. Displacement refers to the shortest distance between the initial and the final positions of the object.
3. An object moving a certain distance can have zero total displacements. Even if an object moves through a considerable distance, if it eventually comes back to its initial position, the corresponding displacement of the object would be zero.
4. For example, a circular motion has a distance of $2\pi R$ but $0$ displacement.