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A runner completes one lap of a circular track. Their displacement is:
AEqual to the lap length
BTwice the lap length
CHalf the lap length
DZero, though distance is not
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: D. Zero, though distance is not
1. Displacement and distance travelled are different quantities.
2. Displacement is the change in position of an object.
3. The distance between two positions is not the same as the distance travelled between them.
4. One full lap returns the runner to the starting position.
5. So displacement is zero even though the distance travelled is a full lap.
_Source: OpenStax College Physics for AP Courses 2e (CC BY 4.0), Ch 2 'Kinematics', sections 2.1-2.8_
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