Can displacement be zero but distance not?

Yes. If you walk around a track and return to the start, distance equals the track length but displacement is zero because your position did not change.

When are distance and displacement equal?

They are equal in magnitude only when the motion is along a straight line in a single direction without reversing.

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Difference Between Distance and Displacement

Distance and displacement both measure how far an object has moved, but in different ways — one counts the whole path, the other only the net change in position.

In short

Distance is the total length of the path travelled (scalar, always positive); displacement is the shortest straight-line distance from start to end, with direction (vector).

Distance vs Displacement — Comparison Table

Basis	Distance	Displacement
Quantity type	Scalar	Vector
Definition	Total path length	Shortest start-to-end distance
Direction	No	Yes
Value	Always positive	Can be positive, negative or zero
Magnitude	≥ displacement	≤ distance

Want to understand this fully? Read the Physics notes on this chapter.

Frequently Asked Questions — Distance vs Displacement

Can displacement be zero but distance not?: Yes. If you walk around a track and return to the start, distance equals the track length but displacement is zero because your position did not change.
When are distance and displacement equal?: They are equal in magnitude only when the motion is along a straight line in a single direction without reversing.

Difference Between Distance and Displacement

Distance vs Displacement — Comparison Table

Frequently Asked Questions — Distance vs Displacement

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