Ladder 1 · Why direction matters
Distance and displacement are not the same
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Question 1.2
Riya walks 8 m east and then 3 m west. What are her total distance and displacement?
Visual explanationSee why the answer works⌄
8 m east − 3 m west = 5 m east
Distance = 8 + 3 = 11 m. Displacement = 8 − 3 = 5 m east. Distance records the complete path; displacement joins the start directly to the finish.