Final answer:
Runners ending at the start point after one lap around a track have a displacement of zero, as displacement is a measure of the change in position. However, the distance they covered is equal to the perimeter of the track.
Step-by-step explanation:
When runners travel one lap around a track and end where they started, their total displacement is zero. Displacement is a vector quantity that refers to the change in position of an object; it has both magnitude and direction. In this context, although the runners have covered a certain distance (the perimeter of the track), since they finish where they started, their starting and ending positions are the same, leading to zero displacement. On the other hand, the distance they traveled would be equal to the total length of the track's perimeter, which is a scalar quantity and only considers the magnitude of the path traveled without direction.