MP Board · Class 9 · Science · MotionWhat is meant by displacement? How is it different from distance in terms of scalar and vector quantities?

Displacement is defined as the shortest straight-line distance measured from the initial position to the final position of a moving object. Unlike distance, which is a scalar quantity possessing only magnitude, displacement is a vector quantity that has both magnitude and a specific direction. Displacement can be positive, negative, or zero depending on the final position relative to the initial position.