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What does a car's odometer actually record over a trip?
AThe total distance it travelled
BThe net displacement from start
CThe average velocity of the trip
DThe instantaneous speed each moment
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: A. The total distance it travelled
1. An odometer keeps a running total as the wheels turn, adding up every meter travelled.
2. It never subtracts distance for a return trip, so it cannot represent displacement.
3. The running total it shows is the total distance travelled.
_Source: OpenStax Physics (CC BY 4.0), Ch 2 "Motion in One Dimension", section 2.1 Relative Motion, Distance, and Displacement_
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