Distance and Displacement

1. Distance

• Distance is the total length of the path travelled by a moving object, regardless of the direction. It is a scalar quantity, which means it only has magnitude (size), not direction.
• Example: If Ranjit walks from point A to B to C to D, the distance is the total of AB + BC + CD.

2. Displacement

• Displacement is the shortest distance in a straight line between the starting point and the final point, along with a direction. It is a vector quantity, meaning it includes both magnitude (distance) and direction.
• Example: In Ranjit’s case, the displacement is the straight line AD from his house to the school.

Distance and displacement

Distance is the actual path travelled and does not consider direction, while displacement is the shortest straight-line path in a specific direction. Both distance and displacement are measured in meters (m) in the SI and MKS systems.

1. Aim: To measure the distance and displacement between two points (A and B) and understand the difference between them.

2. Requirements: A map or diagram showing paths A and B (as provided in the figure), A ruler or measuring tape.

3. Procedure

• Measure Path A: Use a ruler to measure the length of Path A, which is curved, and record the value (500 meters).
• Measure Path B: Use a ruler to measure the longer straight path (Path B) and record the value (1200 meters).
• Measure Displacement: Measure the shortest straight-line distance between points A and B along the dotted line. Record this value (1300 meters).

Location of the school and houses

4. Observation

• Path A Distance: 500 meters (short curved path).
• Path B Distance: 1200 meters (long straight path).
• Displacement (dotted line): 1300 meters (shortest distance between A and B).

5. Conclusion: Distance (length of path) and displacement (shortest distance) are different measurements. Both Path A and Path B are valid distances, but displacement (1300 meters) is the correct measure of the shortest direct distance between the points.