Two cars travel from the same starting point. Car A travels 60 km east, then 80 km north. Car B travels 100 km northeast in a straight line. Which statement about their displacements is correct?
ACar A has a greater displacement than Car B.
BTheir displacements are equal in magnitude.
CCar B has a greater displacement.
DCar A has zero displacement.
Explanation
📌 Car A: displacement magnitude = √(60² + 80²) = √(3600 + 6400) = √10000 = 100 km northeast. Car B: 100 km northeast in a straight line. Both have identical displacements (magnitude and direction). Distance TRAVELED differs (Car A: 140 km, Car B: 100 km), but displacement is a vector quantity that only cares about start-to-end. Distractor A confuses distance and displacement; C misapplies straight-line advantage to displacement; D ignores that displacement is nonzero here.