Displacement and Distance – Rankers Physics
Topic: Kinematics
Subtopic: 1. Distance and Displacement

Displacement and Distance

Assertion (A): In any interval, the magnitude of displacement is always less than or equal to the distance travelled.
Reason (R): For a particle travelling in a straight line with constant acceleration, the magnitude of the change in the velocity during any interval is always less than or equal to the change in the speed during that interval.
 
(1) Both (A) & (R) are true and the (R) is the correct explanation of the (A)
(2) Both (A) & (R) are true but the (R) is not the correct explanation of the (A)
(3) (A) is true but (R) is false
(4) Both (A) and (R) are false

Solution:

Assertion (A) is true because displacement is the shortest path, so its magnitude is always less than or equal to the distance travelled. Reason (R) is false. For example, if velocity changes from \(-5 \text{ m/s}\) to \(+5 \text{ m/s}\), change in velocity magnitude is \(10 \text{ m/s}\), but change in speed is \(0 \text{ m/s}\). Thus, (A) is true, (R) is false.

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