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No. Distance is never negative, and total distance travelled doesn't decrease during a trip. The distance from A to B is the same as the distance from B to A.

Displacement, on the other hand, can be negative, and can decrease during a trip. The displacement from A to B is the same magnitude, but opposite sign, as the displacement from B to A.

An example would be if you went from your home to a friend's house 1 mile to the east. After you reach your friend's house, you have travelled a distance of 1 mile and your displacement from your starting position is 1 mile. When you come back home from your friends house, you travel a distance of 1 more mile. Your total distance travelled is now 2 miles, but your displacement from your starting location is zero (because you are back where you started.)

Distance does not have direction, and is always positive (or zero).

Displacement has direction, and can be negative, positive, or zero.

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14y ago

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In physics, distance is a scalar quantity that represents the absolute value of the length between two points. It is always positive or zero because it only denotes the magnitude of separation. Negative distances are not used in physics.

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10mo ago
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Q: Can distance be negative in physics?
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