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A person starts at A (0 m, 0 m) and walks to B (-5 m, 0 m). Then the person turns

and walks to C (-5 m, 2 m). Determine the distance and displacement (both
magnitude and CCW direction) for this 2-stage motion.

1 Answer

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Final answer:

To determine the distance and displacement for this 2-stage motion, we need to understand the concepts of distance and displacement. The distance traveled in the first stage is 5 meters and the displacement is 5 meters to the left. In the second stage, the distance is 2 meters and the displacement is 2 meters upward.


Step-by-step explanation:

To determine the distance and displacement for this 2-stage motion, we need to understand the concepts of distance and displacement. Distance is the length of the path traveled, while displacement is the change in position from the starting point to the ending point.

In the first stage, the person walks from point A to point B, which is a horizontal movement in the negative x-direction. The distance traveled in this stage is 5 meters. However, the displacement can be calculated by finding the difference in x-coordinates, which is -5 meters. The magnitude of displacement is 5 meters, and the direction is counterclockwise (CCW) or to the left.

In the second stage, the person walks from point B to point C, which is a vertical movement in the positive y-direction. The distance traveled in this stage is 2 meters. The displacement can be calculated by finding the difference in y-coordinates, which is 2 meters. The magnitude of displacement is 2 meters, and the direction is upward (CCW).

Therefore, the total distance of the 2-stage motion is 5 meters + 2 meters = 7 meters. The total displacement is the vector sum of the individual displacements, which can be calculated using the Pythagorean theorem. The magnitude of the total displacement is √(5^2 + 2^2) = √29 meters, and the direction is an angle counterclockwise (CCW) from the positive x-axis.


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