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Displacement differs from distance in that displacement:
Ais always the larger of the two quantities
Bhas direction as well as magnitude
Cis measured in different units entirely
Dcan never take a negative value
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: B. has direction as well as magnitude
1. Distance is a scalar: it records only how much ground was covered.
2. Displacement is a vector: it records both how far and in which direction.
3. Because it carries direction, displacement can be negative, and it can be zero on a round trip where distance is not.
4. Displacement can therefore never exceed distance, so it is not always the larger.
5. Both are measured in metres, so the units are identical; failing to separate the two was a recorded error.
_Source: NECTA CSEE 2022 Physics 031, Question 1: Multiple Choice, item (v)_
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