Differentiate between distance and displacement.

Distance is the total path covered by an object, while displacement is the shortest distance from the initial to the final position.

Distance and displacement are two fundamental concepts in physics that often get confused due to their apparent similarity. However, they represent two different aspects of motion. Distance is a scalar quantity that refers to "how much ground an object has covered" during its motion. It does not consider the direction of the motion. It is always positive and accumulates over time. For example, if you walk around a 400m track, your distance travelled is 400m, regardless of your starting and ending points.

On the other hand, displacement is a vector quantity that refers to "how far out of place an object is" from its original position; it is the object's overall change in position. Displacement considers the direction of motion and can be positive, negative, or zero. For instance, if you walk around the same 400m track and end up at your starting point, your displacement is zero because your overall change in position is zero.

To further illustrate the difference, consider a scenario where you walk 10m north, then 10m south. The total distance you've covered is 20m, as you've travelled 10m twice. However, your displacement is zero, as you've ended up at your original position.

In summary, while both distance and displacement give us information about an object's motion, they tell us different things. Distance gives us the total path covered by the object, without considering the direction of the motion. Displacement, on the other hand, gives us the net change in position of the object, taking into account the direction of the motion. Understanding the difference between these two concepts is crucial in physics, as it allows us to accurately describe and analyse an object's motion.