I read that the displacement vector of a particle is the shortest path between its initial and final positions since it's a straight line joining the two points, this holds true for me till a 2D plane but when we enter into 3D figures like a cube then it doesn't seem to always hold true there. So, what's the correct explanation?
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$\begingroup$ "this holds true for me till a 2D plane but when we enter into 3D figures like a cube then it doesn't seem to always hold true there. " . Can you give an example of such case? $\endgroup$– PhysicsCommented May 19 at 8:11
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2$\begingroup$ That's the definition of displacement. If you think it doesn't hold it means that somehow you have a different definition $\endgroup$– lcvCommented May 19 at 9:07
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$\begingroup$ You're allowed to tunnel through the cube to get the displacement even if your journey from a point on one face of the cube to a point on another face was over the surface of the cube. $\endgroup$– Philip WoodCommented May 19 at 14:05
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1$\begingroup$ Why do you think the definition of "displacement" in 3D space would be different from its definition in 2D space? $\endgroup$– Solomon SlowCommented May 19 at 21:04
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1$\begingroup$ P.S., There's a reason why that "shortest path" is worthy of a name: There are important physical laws that relate some quantity or another to that shortest path. That is to say, there are measurable quantities that always change by the same amount when a particle starts at point A and ends at B no matter what actual path the particle followed to get there. $\endgroup$– Solomon SlowCommented May 19 at 21:10
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