Question

A car is driving from Buffalo to Albany and then to New York City.

Compared to the magnitude of the car's total displacement, the total
distance driven is

A) always greater
B) always smaller
C) sometimes greater and sometimes smaller
D) always equal

Answer 1

The total displacement of a car is always smaller than the total distance driven because it takes into account both magnitude and direction of movement.

Step-by-step explanation:

The magnitude of the total displacement of a car is always less than the total distance driven. Displacement takes into account both the magnitude and direction of movement, while distance only refers to the magnitude.

For example, if a car drives from Buffalo to Albany and then to New York City, the total distance driven would be the sum of the distances between each city. However, the total displacement would be the straight-line distance from Buffalo to New York City.

Therefore, the correct answer is B) always smaller.