What term describes the straight line distance from one point to another, regardless of the path taken?

The term that describes the straight line distance from one point to another, regardless of the path taken, is distance. Distance measures the total length of the path traveled, quantifying how far apart two points are without regard for direction. It is a scalar quantity, meaning it has a magnitude but no directional component.

Displacement, on the other hand, refers to the shortest straight line from the initial position to the final position, taking into account the direction of the movement. Path length specifically refers to the actual distance traveled along a specific route, which can be longer than the straight line distance. Magnitude is a general term that can apply to the size of a vector quantity but does not specifically define the straight-line distance between two points.