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Which statement correctly distinguishes distance from displacement?
ADistance is a vector; displacement is a scalar
BDistance is the total path length; displacement is the straight-line vector from start to end
CDistance and displacement are always equal in magnitude
DDisplacement is always greater than distance
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: B. Distance is the total path length; displacement is the straight-line vector from start to end
**Distance** is a scalar that totals the path length actually travelled, including back-and-forth motion.
**Displacement** is a vector that points from the starting position to the ending position in a straight line.
They are equal in magnitude only for straight-line motion in one direction. If a runner finishes a 400 m lap exactly back where they started, distance = 400 m but displacement = 0.
Option D is plainly wrong: displacement magnitude is always $\leq$ distance.
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