Chapter 2, Problem 47A

To determine

The difference between position, distance, and displacement.

Explanation of Solution

Introduction:

The quantities position, distance and displacement, all help in locating an object with respect to some reference point.

The position of an object depicts its location with respect to some reference point, whereas the distance depicts how far that point/position of the object lies from the reference point. It is a scalar quantity. The distance along with its direction of motion is known as displacement. Displacement is a vector quantity.

Conclusion:

Position specifies the location of an object, whereas the distance provides the value of how far a point lies from a reference point. When this distance is listed along with the direction, it is known as displacement.