Final answer:
The distance the dog travels is 8 meters, adding up the lengths traveled in both directions regardless of the direction. The displacement is -2 meters, which indicates the dog's final position relative to the starting point, taking into account the direction of travel.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question asks us to determine the distance and displacement of a dog chasing a squirrel. The dog runs 5 meters to the left and then 3 meters to the right.
Distance is a scalar quantity that refers to how much ground an object has covered during its motion. In this case, the dog covers 5 meters going to the left and 3 meters going to the right, so the distance the dog travels is the sum of these two movements:
Distance = 5 meters + 3 meters = 8 meters.
Displacement, on the other hand, is a vector quantity that refers to how far out of place an object is; it is the object's overall change in position. It takes into account the direction of the dog's travel. As the dog initially moves 5 meters to the left (which we could consider as the negative direction), and then moves 3 meters to the right (positive direction), the displacement is:
Displacement = -5 meters + 3 meters = -2 meters.
This means the dog's final position is 2 meters to the left of the starting point.