| Distance | Displacement |
| 1. Distance is the length of the path actually traveled by a body in any direction. | 1. Displacement is the shortest distance between the initial and the final positions of a body in the direction of the point of the final position. |
| 2. Distance between two given points depends upon the path chosen. | 2. Displacement between two points is measured by the straight path between the points. |
| 3. Distance is always positive. | 3. Displacement may be positive as well as negative and even zero. |
| 4. Distance is scalar quantity. | 4. Displacement is a vector quantity |
| 5. Distance will never decrease | 5. Displacement may decrease. |
