The Difference Between Distance and Displacement in Class 9

When studying physics in class 9, you’ll probably come across two important concepts called distance and displacement. At first glance, these two terms may seem similar, but they have distinct differences that are important to understand.

What is Distance?

Distance refers to the total path covered by an object. It is a scalar quantity and is always positive. This means that distance only considers the magnitude of the path covered by an object, and it does not factor in direction. For example, if you were to walk from your house to your school and back, the total distance you cover would be the sum of the distance going to school and the distance going back.

What is Displacement?

Displacement, on the other hand, is a vector quantity that takes into account both the magnitude and direction of an object’s motion. It refers to the change in position of an object from its initial to final position. Mathematically, the displacement of an object is the difference between its final position and its initial position. For example, if you walked from your house to your school and then walked back home, your displacement would be zero because you ended up where you started.

The Main Difference Between Distance and Displacement

The main difference between distance and displacement is that distance only considers magnitude while displacement considers both magnitude and direction. Another way to think about this is that distance is a scalar quantity while displacement is a vector quantity.

Let’s take an example of a car moving in a straight line. The distance covered by the car would be the total path it traveled regardless of the turns it took on the way; however, the displacement of the car would be the difference between its starting point and its final point. The displacement of the car would also include information about the direction in which it moved.

Conclusion

In summary, distance and displacement are both important concepts in physics that you will encounter in class 9. The key difference between the two is that distance only considers magnitude while displacement considers both magnitude and direction. Knowing the difference between these two concepts will help you better understand and apply the laws of physics in your studies.

Table difference between distance and displacement class 9

Distance vs Displacement

	Distance	Displacement
Definition	The total length of a path travelled by an object.	The shortest distance between the initial and final position of an object, regardless of the path taken.
Formula	d = Σ |d₁ – d₂|	D = |Δx|
Symbol	d	D
Unit	meters (m)	meters (m)
Significance	Distance is a scalar quantity that refers to the total length of the path travelled by an object. It does not take into account the direction of motion or the displacement.	Displacement is a vector quantity that refers to the shortest distance between the initial and final position of an object. It takes into account the direction of motion and the change in position.