Distance — NEET Physics MCQs with Solutions
Free NEET Physics Distance MCQs with step-by-step solutions (36 questions). Part of Motion in 1 Dimension. Practise online on Prepizo — no login needed.
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Questions with solutions
Q1 — Distance · easy · theory
Distance is a
A. Unit vector
B. Dimensionless quantity
C. Vector quantity
D. Scalar quantity ✓ Correct
Solution: Distance (path length) has magnitude only — it is a scalar.
Q2 — Distance · easy · theory
A particle completes one full lap of a circular track of radius $r$. The distance travelled is
A. Zero
B. $2\pi r$ ✓ Correct
C. $\pi r$
D. $2r$
Solution: The path length of one full circle is its circumference, $2\pi r$.
Q3 — Distance · easy · theory
A particle covers half a lap of a circular track of radius $7$ m. The distance travelled is (take $\pi = \frac{22}{7}$)
A. $7$ m
B. $22$ m ✓ Correct
C. $14$ m
D. $44$ m
Solution: Half the circumference $= \pi r = \frac{22}{7}\times 7 = 22$ m.
Q4 — Distance · easy · theory
The odometer of a car measures
A. Distance travelled ✓ Correct
B. Instantaneous velocity
C. Displacement
D. Average velocity
Solution: The odometer adds up the path length — total distance, regardless of direction.
Q5 — Distance · easy · theory
A person walks $3$ m east and then $4$ m north. The total distance covered is
A. $5$ m
B. $7$ m ✓ Correct
C. $1$ m
D. $12$ m
Solution: Distance adds the path lengths: $3 + 4 = 7$ m. (The displacement would be $5$ m.)
Q6 — Distance · medium · theory
For any moving particle, the distance travelled is
A. Greater than or equal to the magnitude of displacement ✓ Correct
B. Always less than the displacement
C. Unrelated to the displacement
D. Always equal to the displacement
Solution: The straight line is the shortest path, so path length $\geq |\text{displacement}|$, with equality for straight-line motion without reversal.
Q7 — Distance · easy · theory
The distance travelled by a particle can be
A. Negative
B. Zero while the particle keeps moving
C. Never negative ✓ Correct
D. Less than the magnitude of its displacement
Solution: Path length only accumulates — it can never decrease or be negative.
Q8 — Distance · medium · theory
A body returns to its starting point after moving along a closed path. Then
A. Distance is zero but displacement is non-zero
B. Both are non-zero
C. Both distance and displacement are zero
D. Distance is non-zero but displacement is zero ✓ Correct
Solution: The path length is the full loop, but the initial and final positions coincide, so displacement is zero.
Q9 — Distance · easy · numerical
A car goes $40$ km forward and then $20$ km back towards the start. The total distance travelled is
A. $60$ km ✓ Correct
B. $30$ km
C. $20$ km
D. $40$ km
Solution: Distance $= 40 + 20 = 60$ km (the displacement would be $20$ km).
Q10 — Distance · medium · theory
A particle moves along half a circle of radius $r$. The ratio of distance to the magnitude of displacement is
A. $\frac{\pi}{2}$ ✓ Correct
B. $1$
C. $2\pi$
D. $\pi$
Solution: Distance $= \pi r$, displacement $= 2r$ (the diameter). Ratio $= \frac{\pi r}{2r} = \frac{\pi}{2}$.
Q11 — Distance · easy · theory
A particle moves along the x-axis from $x = 2$ m to $x = 7$ m, then back to $x = 3$ m. The total distance travelled is
A. $1$ m
B. $5$ m
C. $4$ m
D. $9$ m ✓ Correct
Solution: Forward $5$ m, then back $4$ m: distance $= 5 + 4 = 9$ m.
Q12 — Distance · easy · theory
A body moves with uniform speed $v$ for time $t$. The distance covered is
A. $\frac{1}{2}vt$
B. $vt$ ✓ Correct
C. $vt^2$
D. $\frac{v}{t}$
Solution: For uniform speed, distance $=$ speed $\times$ time $= vt$.
Q13 — Distance · easy · theory
A ball is dropped from $20$ m, bounces, and is caught when it reaches $5$ m height. The total distance travelled is
A. $15$ m
B. $25$ m ✓ Correct
C. $20$ m
D. $5$ m
Solution: Down $20$ m plus up $5$ m: total path $= 25$ m.
Q14 — Distance · easy · theory
The area under a speed–time graph gives
A. Distance travelled ✓ Correct
B. Acceleration
C. Average speed
D. Displacement (with sign)
Solution: Speed is never negative, so the area under speed–time accumulates the total path length.
Q15 — Distance · easy · numerical
A man walks $8$ km north and then $6$ km south. The distance travelled is
A. $14$ km ✓ Correct
B. $8$ km
C. $2$ km
D. $10$ km
Solution: Path length adds: $8 + 6 = 14$ km. (Displacement is only $2$ km north.)
Q16 — Distance · medium · theory
A particle moves along a quarter of a circle of radius $R$. The distance covered is
A. $\pi R$
B. $2R$
C. $R\sqrt{2}$
D. $\frac{\pi R}{2}$ ✓ Correct
Solution: A quarter of the circumference $= \frac{2\pi R}{4} = \frac{\pi R}{2}$. ($R\sqrt{2}$ is the displacement.)
Q17 — Distance · easy · theory
As time passes, the distance travelled by a moving particle
A. Can decrease if it turns back
B. Can become zero again
C. Oscillates for oscillatory motion
D. Can never decrease ✓ Correct
Solution: Path length keeps accumulating — turning back adds more distance, never removes it.
Q18 — Distance · easy · theory
The SI unit of distance is
A. centimetre
B. mile
C. kilometre
D. metre ✓ Correct
Solution: The SI base unit of length is the metre (m).
Q19 — Distance · easy · numerical
An athlete completes $5$ laps of a $400$ m track. The distance covered is
A. Zero
B. $4$ km
C. $2$ km ✓ Correct
D. $400$ m
Solution: $5 \times 400 = 2000$ m $= 2$ km. (Displacement per complete lap is zero.)
Q20 — Distance · easy · theory
A particle moves at a constant speed of $5$ m/s for $10$ s. The distance covered is
A. $5$ m
B. $2$ m
C. $50$ m ✓ Correct
D. $15$ m
Solution: Distance $= 5 \times 10 = 50$ m.
Q21 — Distance · medium · theory
A particle has travelled $100$ m of distance but has zero displacement. Its path must be
A. Impossible
B. A straight line
C. A parabola
D. A closed path ending at the start ✓ Correct
Solution: Zero displacement with non-zero path length means the particle returned to its starting point.
Q22 — Distance · easy · numerical
A person walks $3$ km north, $4$ km east and then $3$ km south. The total distance is
A. $4$ km
B. $6$ km
C. $5$ km
D. $10$ km ✓ Correct
Solution: Distance adds all legs: $3+4+3 = 10$ km. (Displacement is $4$ km east.)
Q23 — Distance · easy · theory
A light year is a unit of
A. Speed
B. Time
C. Intensity of light
D. Distance ✓ Correct
Solution: A light year is the distance light travels in one year ($\approx 9.46\times10^{15}$ m).
Q24 — Distance · medium · theory
Distance equals the magnitude of displacement when the particle moves
A. With uniform speed
B. Along any straight line
C. Along a circle
D. Along a straight line without reversing ✓ Correct
Solution: Only for one-way straight-line motion does path length equal the straight-line separation.
Q25 — Distance · easy · numerical
Two towns are $60$ km apart. A bus goes from one to the other and returns. The distance covered is
A. $60$ km
B. $30$ km
C. $120$ km ✓ Correct
D. Zero
Solution: Round trip: $60 + 60 = 120$ km, while displacement is zero.
Q26 — Distance · easy · theory
A particle moves as $x = t^2$ (metres, seconds) from $t=0$ to $t=3$ s. The distance travelled is
A. $27$ m
B. $3$ m
C. $9$ m ✓ Correct
D. $6$ m
Solution: $v = 2t \geq 0$ throughout (no reversal), so distance $= x(3) - x(0) = 9$ m.
Q27 — Distance · medium · theory
A particle moves as $x = t^2 - 4t$ (metres, seconds). The distance travelled from $t=0$ to $t=4$ s is
A. $16$ m
B. Zero
C. $4$ m
D. $8$ m ✓ Correct
Solution: $v = 2t-4$ reverses at $t=2$ s (at $x=-4$). It goes $4$ m one way and $4$ m back: distance $= 8$ m, displacement $= 0$.
Q28 — Distance · medium · theory
The distance travelled equals average speed multiplied by
A. Acceleration
B. Total time ✓ Correct
C. Displacement
D. Velocity
Solution: By definition, average speed $= \frac{\text{distance}}{\text{time}}$, so distance $=$ average speed $\times$ time.
Q29 — Distance · medium · numerical
A bird flies back and forth between two approaching trains at a steady speed of $60$ km/h. If the trains collide after $1$ hour, the bird has flown a distance of
A. Cannot be found
B. $120$ km
C. $60$ km ✓ Correct
D. $30$ km
Solution: No matter the zig-zag path: distance $=$ speed $\times$ time $= 60\times1 = 60$ km — the famous shortcut.
Q30 — Distance · easy · theory
The dimensional formula of distance is
A. $[L]$ ✓ Correct
B. $[LT^{-2}]$
C. $[LT^{-1}]$
D. $[ML]$
Solution: Distance is a length: dimension $[L]$.