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\large{\rm{Question:}}

Give one example where the displacement is zero but the distance traveled is not zero.



User Ravenix
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2 Answers

6 votes

Example:

Imagine a person walks 10 meters forward and then turns around and walks 10 meters back to the starting point. In this case, the displacement is zero (starting point to ending point), but the distance traveled is 20 meters (10 meters forward + 10 meters backward).

User Kyle Brandt
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3 votes

Let us assume a man travelled from a point A to a point B over a distance 'd'. After a while he travels the same distance back to point A.

Therefore, since his initial and final positions are the same, displacement is equal to zero, and the distance travelled is (d + d) = 2d, which is not zero.

User Pierre Tautou
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4.8k points