The numerical value of the ratio of displacement to distance for a moving body is:

Always less than one
Always equal to one
Always greater than one
Equal to or less than one

Correct answer: Equal to or less than one

Solution

Displacement |s| = |r_final - r_initial| is the magnitude of the shortest straight-line path between start and end. Distance d is the total length of the actual path followed. By geometry, |displacement| <= distance (equality holds only for straight-line motion without reversal). Therefore the ratio |displacement|/distance <= 1 and can equal 1 (for straight-line, one-direction motion) but never exceeds 1.

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