Which quantity is defined as the total length of the path travelled between two positions?
ADisplacement between the two points
BMagnitude of the average velocity
CPosition measured from the origin
DDistance travelled between the points
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: D. Distance travelled between the points
1. Distance travelled is the total length of the path travelled between two positions.
2. Distance between two positions is the magnitude of the displacement, a shorter quantity.
3. Displacement is the change in position and carries a direction, so it is not a path length.
4. Position is a single location, not a length measured along a route.
_Source: OpenStax College Physics (CC BY 4.0), Ch 2 "Kinematics", section 2.1 Displacement_
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