What type of quantity is displacement?

Displacement is classified as a vector quantity. This means it has both magnitude and direction. In physics, when we refer to displacement, we are talking about the shortest distance from an initial position to a final position, accompanied by the direction of that straight line.

For instance, if an object moves from point A to point B, the displacement would be the straight line distance from A to B, indicating the direction of movement (e.g., north, south, east, west). This characteristic of having a specific direction is what distinguishes vector quantities like displacement from scalar quantities, which have only magnitude and no direction.

Understanding displacement as a vector is crucial in physics as it plays a key role in determining how objects move and interact, especially when analyzing motion in different directions.