To find the total displacement of a runner running around a track, we must understand the difference between "displacement" and "distance." Displacement is a vector quantity that refers to the change in position of an object from its initial position to its final position, while distance is a scalar quantity that refers to the total path length traveled by the object, irrespective of its starting or end positions.
The track has a fixed circumference of 400 meters. When the runner completes one lap, they have traveled a distance of 400 meters. However, since they start and end at the same point, their change in position (displacement) for one lap is actually zero.
When the runner completes a second lap, they again travel a distance of 400 meters, for a total distance of 800 meters traveled after two laps. The concept of displacement remains the same even after two laps. The runner's starting point and ending point are the same, so despite having traveled a distance, their overall change in position (displacement) remains zero.
Therefore, after running two laps on the track, the runner's total displacement is 0 meters. The distance traveled in those two laps is 800 meters, but displacement considers only the change in position, not the total path taken. Since the runner ends up in the same position where they started, the displacement is zero.
