Acceleration — Introduction to Motion and Kinematics Review + 6 more topics

Distance is the total length of the path an object travels, regardless of direction. If you walk 5 meters forward and then 3 meters backward, your total distance traveled is 8 meters. It's a scalar quantity, meaning it only has magnitude (a number).

Displacement is the change in an object's position. It's the straight-line distance from your starting point to your ending point, with direction. If you walk 5 meters forward and then 3 meters backward, your displacement is 2 meters forward (5 - 3 = 2). It's a vector quantity, meaning it has both magnitude and direction.