Question

Assertion: The magnitude of displacement is always equal to distance travelled by an object.

Reason: The displacement is the shortest straight path between initial and final position.
a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A
b) Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A
c) A is true but R is false
d) None of these

Answer 1

The magnitude of displacement is not always equal to distance traveled. Displacement takes into account magnitude and direction, while distance traveled only considers the total length of the path taken.

Step-by-step explanation:

The correct answer is c) A is true but R is false. The reason is that while displacement is the shortest straight path between the initial and final position, it is not always equal to the distance traveled. Displacement is a vector quantity that includes both magnitude and direction, while distance traveled is a scalar quantity that only considers the total length of the path taken.

For example, imagine a race track where the start line and finish line are 100 meters apart, but the track layout forces the runner to take a curved path. The distance traveled would still be 100 meters, but the magnitude of displacement would be less than 100 meters because it only considers the straight-line distance between the start and finish points.

Therefore, while displacement may be equal to distance traveled in certain cases, it is not always true, making statement R false.