Question

Fill in the blanks:
Displacement is a _ _ _ _ _ _ quantity.
A. Vector
B. Scalar
C. Pseudo scalar
D. Pseudo vector

Answer 1

Displacement of a body is defined as the change in the position of the body with respect to a reference point. When a body displaces, the initial position and the final position of the body matter. Therefore, the direction in which the body displaces is also taken into consideration.

Complete step by step answer:
Let us first understand what is meant by displacement.

Displacement is a physical quantity that tells about the motion of a body. Displacement of a body is defined as the change in the position of the body with respect to a reference point.

Suppose a body moves from point A to point B. The magnitude of the displacement is equal to the line joining the points A and B. When a body displaces, the initial position and the final position of the body matter. Therefore, the direction in which the body displaces is also taken into consideration.

This means that displacement is quantity that has a magnitude as well as direction. A quantity that has some magnitude as well as direction is called a vector quantity.

Therefore, displacement is a vector quantity.

Hence, the displacement of the particle is a vector with its tail at point A and head at point B.

Hence, the correct option is A.

Note: A scalar quantity is that quantity which has only magnitude. It does have any direction. For example, distance and speed. We never talk about the direction of distance nor the direction of speed.

Pseudo scalar quantity acts as a scalar quantity. However, unlike scalars, pseudo scalars can have negative values.

Pseudo vector is a vector that does not change the sign when it is inversion. Whereas, a vector changes its sign when inverted.

Displacement is not a pseudo vector because if the body displaces from B to A, its sign changes.