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You decide to go on a walk around the school. Starting from the student parking lot you move 25 m North and then 50 m West to reach a road. What is the total distance and displacement traveled on your brief trek?

Distance:
Displacement:

User Kavi
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1 Answer

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Distance: The total distance traveled is the sum of the individual distances traveled in each direction. In this case, you moved 25 meters North and then 50 meters West. So, the total distance is:

Distance = 25 m (North) + 50 m (West) = 75 meters

Displacement: Displacement is the straight-line distance from the starting point to the final point, taking into account both the distance and direction. To calculate the displacement, you can use the Pythagorean theorem because the motion is in perpendicular directions (North and West).

Displacement = √((25 m)² + (50 m)²)

Displacement = √(625 m² + 2500 m²)

Displacement = √(3125 m²)

Displacement = 55.9 meters (rounded to one decimal place)

-the total displacement is approximately 55.9 meters in a direction that is between North and West.

User Gunay Abdullayeva
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