What is defined as the movement of an object from one place to another, particularly in relation to its starting location and final location?

Displacement is defined as the change in position of an object from its starting location to its final location, taking into account both the distance and direction of this movement. Unlike distance, which measures the total path traveled without considering direction, displacement focuses specifically on the shortest path from the initial position to the final position, represented as a straight line with a specific direction.

For instance, if an object moves in a circular path but returns to its starting point, the distance traveled may be significant, but the displacement is zero, since there is no change in position. In contrast, if an object moves from one point to another in a straight line, the displacement reflects that change in position, making it an essential concept in understanding motion in physics.