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Displacement is a vector quantity, which means it has a magnitude (size) and a direction, compared to a scalar quantity which only shows size. A negative displacement simply means that the person or object is going in a negative direction, or returning.

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Yes it can be -ve because with displacement, sign indicates direction. Usually right and up are designated as positive while left and down are designated as negative, but this can be changed as long as one is consistent.

So in most cases, if the displacement is negative it means you are moving in the opposite direction/backwards.

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14y ago
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6mo ago

Displacement can be negative when an object moves in the opposite direction from its reference point. For example, if an object is initially at position 0 and moves to position -5, the displacement would be -5 units. Negative displacement indicates movement in the opposite direction from the reference point.

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Q: How can displacement be negative?
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Related questions

Why dispacement can be negative?

When a body covers a displacement in the opposite direction of our reference direction then displacement will be negative.


Can distance and displacement be negative?

Yes, distance and displacement can be negative. Negative distance occurs when an object moves in the opposite direction from the reference point, while negative displacement indicates a change in position in the opposite direction of the reference point.


How do you find displacement of negative velocity time graph?

To find the displacement from a negative velocity-time graph, you need to calculate the area under the curve for the portion representing displacement. If the velocity is negative, the displacement will be in the opposite direction. The magnitude of the displacement is equal to the absolute value of the area under the curve.


If displacement is decreasing then velocity is?

If displacement is decreasing, then velocity can be positive, negative, or zero, depending on the direction of motion. If the object is moving in the positive direction, a decreasing displacement may result in a positive velocity. If the object is moving in the negative direction, a decreasing displacement may lead to a negative velocity. If the object is stationary and its displacement is decreasing, the velocity is zero.


Is it possible to have negative value in speed and displacement?

No, in physics, speed and displacement are scalar quantities that represent magnitudes and cannot be negative. However, the direction of motion can be indicated by assigning a negative or positive sign to the speed or displacement value.


If the displacement is negative 2 north and represents a positive displacement What is the direction?

south


If the displacement of particle is zero then the distance travelled by it will be?

Negative


Can a position time graph tell in which directionthe displacement of an object is?

Yes, a position-time graph can tell you the direction of the displacement of an object. If the slope of the graph is positive, the object is moving in the positive direction. If the slope is negative, the object is moving in the negative direction.


The application of a force through a distance?

Work = Force * displacement if the displacement and the force are parallel - work is positive if force and displacement are in the same direction, negative if they have opposite direction. At an angle Work = Force * displacement * cos(θ) where θ is the angle between the force and displacement vectors.


When would one use a laser displacement sensor?

One would use a laser displacement sensor when positioning objects, for example, the laser will give positive displacement when an object moves away and a negative displacement when the object is getting closer.


When two waves interfere the displacement where two troughs meet is positive negative zero or a crest?

When two waves interfere, the displacement where two troughs meet is zero. This is because the trough of one wave combined with the trough of the other wave results in destructive interference, cancelling out the displacement.


How do you achieve negative velocity?

Negative velocity is achieved by moving in the opposite direction of the positive direction. For example, if a car is moving eastwards with a velocity of 50 km/h, to achieve negative velocity, it would need to be moving westwards with a velocity of -50 km/h.