Displacement vs. Distance in Straight Line – Rankers Physics

1. Distance and Displacement: Practice Problem & Solution

Assertion (A): If a body moves on a straight line, magnitude of its displacement and distance covered by it must be same. Reason (R): Along a straight line, a body can move only in one direction.  
Both (A) & (R) are true and the (R) is the correct explanation of the (A)
Both (A) & (R) are true but the (R) is not the correct explanation of the (A)
(A) is true but (R) is false
Both (A) and (R) are false

Solution Explained:

To solve this problem, we apply the core principles of 1. Distance and Displacement. Understanding the underlying formula is key to arriving at the correct answer below:

Solution: (A) is false; if a body moves forward and then reverses on a straight line, distance will be greater than magnitude of displacement. (R) is false; a body can change its direction of motion while staying on a straight line (e.g., moving forward, then backward). Since both are false, option (4) is correct.

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