Displacement vs Distance: Hexagonal Path

This simulation illustrates the fundamental difference between distance and displacement in physics. As a motorist travels along a hexagonal path, the total distance increases with each segment, while displacement measures the straight-line distance from start to current position. Students can visualize how displacement changes at key turning points and understand that for non-linear paths, displacement is always less than or equal to distance traveled. This concept is essential for understanding vector quantities in motion.