wiz-icon
MyQuestionIcon
MyQuestionIcon
1
You visited us 1 times! Enjoying our articles? Unlock Full Access!
Question

In which case, can velocity be negative? displacement be negative?

Open in App
Solution

An object which moves in the negative direction has a negative velocity.

Yes. Displacement is a vector, as opposed to distance, which is a scalar. Since displacement is a vector quantity, the negative sign represents direction.

As with velocity and acceleration, it just comes down to how you define your coordinate system. In a 1D example, if you set yourself as the origin, objects to your right could be "positively" displaced while objects to your left are "negatively" displaced. Distance, on the other hand, is always positive.


flag
Suggest Corrections
thumbs-up
0
Join BYJU'S Learning Program
similar_icon
Related Videos
thumbnail
lock
Relative Motion
PHYSICS
Watch in App
Join BYJU'S Learning Program
CrossIcon