Distance and Displacement NEET Notes with Practice Questions and Answers

- Dr.Sanjaykumar Pawar  

NEET Physics Distance Displacement Speed Velocity Complete Notes PDF 

Distance and Displacement in Physics explained with diagrams, formulas, speed, velocity, and NEET practice questions.

 Internal Links

Motion in a Straight Line Notes

Speed and Velocity Notes

Instantaneous Velocity and Acceleration Notes

Introduction to Vectors in Physics

Vector Addition and Subtraction

Kinematics Important Questions for NEET

Class 11 Physics Motion Notes

NEET Physics MCQ Collection

Assertion Reason Questions for NEET Physics

NEET Physics Numericals Practice Set

Average Speed and Average Velocity Problems

Previous Year NEET Physics Questions

Acceleration Complete Notes

One Dimensional Motion Notes

NCERT Kinematics Solutions

NEET Physics Short Notes

Distance, Displacement, Speed and Velocity

1. Distance

• Total path length covered by a body.
• Scalar quantity.
• Always positive or zero.
• SI Unit: metre (m).

2. Displacement

• Shortest distance between initial and final positions with direction.
• Vector quantity.
• Can be positive, negative, or zero.
• SI Unit: metre (m).

Displacement = Final Position − Initial Position

Important Cases

Case 1: Straight Line Motion (No Turning)

• Distance ≠ 0
• Displacement ≠ 0
• Distance = Displacement

Case 2: Returning to Starting Point

• Distance > 0
• Displacement = 0

Example: 5 m forward + 5 m backward

• Distance = 10 m
• Displacement = 0 m

Important Relation

Distance ≥ |Displacement|

• Distance can be greater than displacement ✔
• Distance can never be less than displacement ✘

Speed

• Rate of change of distance.
• Scalar quantity.
• Always positive.

Speed = Distance / Time

Velocity

• Rate of change of displacement.
• Vector quantity.

Velocity = Displacement / Time

Average Speed

Average Speed = Total Distance / Total Time

Average Velocity

Average Velocity = Total Displacement / Total Time

Quick Revision Table

Quantity	Type	Can be Zero?	Can be Negative?
Distance	Scalar	Yes	No
Displacement	Vector	Yes	Yes
Speed	Scalar	Yes	No
Velocity	Vector	Yes	Yes

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NEET Practice Questions with Answers

MCQs

Q1. A body moves 10 m east and then 6 m west. What is the displacement?
A) 16 m
B) 10 m
C) 4 m east
D) 4 m west

Answer: C) 4 m east

Q2. Which quantity is always positive?
A) Velocity
B) Displacement
C) Distance
D) Acceleration

Answer: C) Distance

Q3. A runner completes one lap of a circular track and returns to the starting point. The displacement is:
A) Radius
B) Diameter
C) Circumference
D) Zero

Answer: D) Zero

Q4. Which relation is always true?
A) Distance < Displacement
B) Distance = 0, Displacement ≠ 0
C) Distance ≥ |Displacement|
D) Distance ≤ |Displacement|

Answer: C) Distance ≥ |Displacement|

Q5. Velocity is the rate of change of:
A) Distance
B) Time
C) Position/Displacement
D) Speed

Answer: C) Position/Displacement

Assertion and Reason

Q6. Distance can never be less than displacement.
Reason: Displacement is the shortest distance between initial and final positions.

Answer: Both are true and Reason correctly explains Assertion.

Q7. A body can have zero displacement and non-zero distance.
Reason: The body may return to its starting point.

Answer: Both are true and Reason correctly explains Assertion.

Numerical Problems

Q8. A person walks 12 m north and then 5 m south.
Find distance and displacement.

Distance = 17 m
Displacement = 7 m north

Q9. A car travels 40 km east and then 30 km west.
Find distance and displacement.

Distance = 70 km
Displacement = 10 km east

Q10. A body completes one revolution on a circular track of circumference 200 m.

Distance = 200 m
Displacement = 0 m

Speed and Velocity Numericals

Q11. A car covers 120 km in 2 hours. Find average speed.

Average Speed = 120 / 2 = 60 km/h

Q12. A body moves 30 m east and then 10 m west in 10 s. Find average velocity.

Displacement = 20 m east
Average Velocity = 20 / 10 = 2 m/s east

True / False

Q13. Distance is a vector quantity.

False

Q14. Displacement may be zero.

True

Q15. Average speed is always greater than or equal to magnitude of average velocity.

True

Q16. Distance can be negative.

False

Statement Based Questions

Q17. Which statements are correct?
1. Distance is scalar.
2. Displacement is vector.
3. Distance can be zero while displacement is non-zero.
4. Displacement can be zero while distance is non-zero.

Answer: 1, 2 and 4 only

Q18. A particle moves 5 m east and 12 m north. Find displacement.

Displacement = √(5² + 12²)
= √169 = 13 m

Conceptual Questions

Q19. Can displacement be greater than distance?

No

Q20. Can distance and displacement be equal?

Yes, when motion is in a straight line without changing direction.