Distance is defined as the total length of the path traveled by an object, regardless of its direction. This means that during the course of motion, no matter how an object moves—backward, forward, or around in circles—it only accounts for the length of the path.
Since the distance is calculated based on the cumulative path, it is always a positive value. Even if an object returns to its starting point, the distance covered is still the total length of the journey taken, which can never be less than zero.
On the other hand, displacement, which refers to the change in position of an object, can be negative, as it takes into account the direction of movement. If an object moves to the left of the starting point, its displacement would be negative. However, that doesn’t affect the distance traveled, which is a measure only of the path length and cannot be negative.