A ball is thrown vertically upward and returns to its starting point. The total displacement and total distance are:
ADisplacement = 0, distance = 2 × maximum height
BBoth equal to the maximum height
CBoth zero
DDisplacement = maximum height, distance = 0
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: A. Displacement = 0, distance = 2 × maximum height
Ball goes up h then comes back down h. Displacement (vector from start to end) = 0 because end = start. Distance (path length) = h + h = 2h. This vividly illustrates the difference between distance (a scalar) and displacement (a vector).
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