Question

A hippo drives 42 km due East. He then turns and drives 28 km at 25° East of South. He turns again and drives 32 km at 40° North of East. a) Sketch a plot of the vector sum of this motion. b) Use vector math to find his total displacement in component form. c) Convert to magnitude and direction form. d) How far is the hippo from his starting point? Note: this is distance, a scalar. What total distance has the hippo traveled?

Answer 1

a) Please, see the attched figure

b) Total displacement R = (78.3 km; -4.8 km)

c) R = (78.4 km * cos (-3.5°); 78.4 km * sin (-3.5°))

d) The hippo is 78.4 km from his starting point.

The total distance traveled is 102 km

Step-by-step explanation:

a)Please, see the attached figure.

b) The vector A can be expressed as:

A = (magnitude * cos α; magnitude * sin α)

Where

magnitude = 42 km

α= 0

Then,

A = (42 km ; 0) or 42 km i

In the same way, we can proceed with the other vectors:

B = ( Bx ; By)

where

(apply trigonometry of right triangles: sen α = opposite / hypotenuse and

cos α = adjacent / hypotenuse. See the figure to determine which component of vector B is the opposite and adjacent side to α)

Bx = 28 km * sin 25 = 11.8 km

By = 28 km * cos 25 = -25.4 km (it has to be negative since it is directed towards the negative vertical region according to our reference system)

B = (11.8 km; -25.4 km) or 11.8 km i - 25.4 km j

C = (Cx; Cy)

where

Cx = 32 km * cos 40° = 24.5 km

Cy = 32 km * sin 40 = 20.6 km

C = (24.5 km; 20.6 km)

Then:

R = A+B+C = (42 km + 11.8 km + 24.5 km; 0 - 25.4 km + 20.6 km)

= (78.3 km; -4.8 km) or 78.3 km i -4.8 km j

c) R = (78.3 km; -4.8 km)

The magnitude of R is:

`magnitude = \sqrt{(78.3)^(2 )+ (-4.8)^(2)}= 78.4 km`

Using trigonometry, we can calculate the angle:

Knowing that

tan α = opposite / adjacent

and that

opposite = Ry = -4.8 km

adjacent = Rx = 78.3 km

Then:

tan α = -4.8 km / 78.4 km

α = -3.5°

We can now write the vector R in magnitude and direction form:

R = (78.4 km * cos (-3.5°); 78.4 km * sin (-3.5°))

d) The displacement of the hipo relative to the starting point is the magnitude of vector R calculated in c):

magnitude R = 78. 4 km

The total distance traveled is the sum of the magnitudes of each vector:

Total distance = 42 km + 28 km + 32 km = 102 km