The numerical ratio of displacement to the distance covered is always a) always equal to one b) always less than one c) always greater than one d) equal to or more than one

Options

A. always equal to one
B. always less than one
C. always greater than one
D. equal to or more than one

Explanation

To solve the question regarding the numerical ratio of displacement to the distance covered, we can follow these steps:

### Step-by-Step Solution:

1. **Define Distance and Displacement**:
- Distance is the total path length covered by an object during its motion.
- Displacement is the shortest distance from the initial position to the final position of the object.

2. **Understanding the Relationship**:
- By definition, the distance covered by an object is always greater than or equal to the displacement. This can be expressed mathematically as:
\[ \text{Distance} \geq \text{Displacement} \]

3. **Formulate the Ratio**:
- The ratio of displacement to distance can be written as:
\[ \text{Ratio} = \frac{\text{Displacement}}{\text{Distance}} \]

4. **Analyze the Ratio**:
- Given that distance is always greater than or equal to displacement, we can deduce:
\[ \frac{\text{Displacement}}{\text{Distance}} \leq 1 \]
- This means that the ratio of displacement to distance can be equal to 1 (when distance and displacement are the same, e.g., in a straight line) or less than 1 (when the path taken is longer than the straight line between the two points).

5. **Conclusion**:
- Therefore, the numerical ratio of displacement to the distance covered is always less than or equal to one. This leads us to the conclusion that the correct answer is:
- **b) always less than one** (and also includes the case when it equals one).

### Final Answer:
The numerical ratio of displacement to the distance covered is always less than or equal to one.