SOLUTION: Two cars start at the same point and drive in a straight line for 5km. At the end of the drive their distances are the same but their displacement is not. Explain. Sounds like t

Question 355199: Two cars start at the same point and drive in a straight line for 5km. At the end of the drive their distances are the same but their displacement is not. Explain.
Sounds like they drove the same distance in the same direction, how could their displacement not be the same?
Answer by Fombitz(32388) (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!
Displacement is a vector quantity.
Distance is the magnitude of displacement and is a scalar quantity.
For the displacement to be identical both the magntitude(distance) and the direction of displacement must be identical.
For example, imagine two cars leave (0,0). One goes 5 miles East (positive x).
One goes 5 miles North (positive y).
Their distance is both 5 miles.
But Car A's displacement is 5 miles east while Car B's is 5 miles north, which are not identical.
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