- What is the normal body temperature?
- What is Body Mass Index (BMI)?
- What do you mean by fruit body?
- Explain the acceleration of a falling body.
- Explain the cause of flotation of the body?
What do you understand by the displacement of a body is 50 m towards east?
The displacement of a body 40 m towards east means –
- The distance between the initial and final position of the body is 40 m, no matter what is the direction of body, the direction of final position from initial position is east.
- The body moved 40 m east from its initial position. So we can find the body if we go 40 m east from its initial position.
Displacement vs. Distance: The Crucial Difference
It is a common mistake to use these terms interchangeably, but they represent very different concepts in the physical world.
| Feature | Distance | Displacement |
| Definition | Total path length covered by an object. | The shortest straight-line path between start and end. |
| Type of Quantity | Scalar (Magnitude only). | Vector (Magnitude + Direction). |
| Value | Always positive. | Can be positive, negative, or zero. |
| Path Dependency | Depends on the actual route taken. | Independent of the path; only depends on endpoints. |
