Final answer:
Displacement is a vector quantity that represents the straight-line distance and direction from the starting point to the ending point, independent of the path traveled. In the provided contexts, one can calculate the displacement using trigonometric functions and the Pythagorean theorem.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question relates to the concept of displacement in physics, specifically in the context of motion along a path that involves multiple segments. Displacement is the vector that directly connects the starting point to the ending point irrespective of the actual path taken. When calculating displacement, you use the starting location as a reference point and you typically use trigonometry to find the magnitude and direction of the resultant vector when the path consists of several segments.
For example, if Komal walks 400 m to Kevin's house and then 500 m to school, the total distance covered is 900 m. However, the displacement is the straight-line distance from his starting point (home) to the endpoint (school), which could be significantly less than the distance traveled, as it does not account for the path taken, only the initial and final points.
In the case of a person walking 9 blocks east and 5 blocks north, one would use the Pythagorean theorem to calculate the displacement, which would be a straight-line vector from the starting point to the final destination. The magnitude could be calculated using the formula √(9^2 + 5^2) and the direction would be an angle θ north of east, which can be calculated using trigonometry.