Final answer:
A hockey puck moving back and forth between two bumpers 3 meters apart completes 7 trips across the surface and travels for 20 seconds. The displacement of the puck is 21 meters, the distance it moves is 21 meters, the average velocity is 1.05 meters per second, and the average speed is also 1.05 meters per second. If one of the bumpers was removed, the puck would continue moving in a straight line based on Newton's first law of motion.
Step-by-step explanation:
A. The displacement of the puck can be calculated by multiplying the distance between the bumpers (3 meters) by the number of trips across the surface (7). The displacement is 3 meters x 7 trips = 21 meters.
B. The distance the puck moves is simply the total distance covered during the 7 trips across the surface. Since each trip covers a distance of 3 meters, the total distance is 3 meters x 7 trips = 21 meters.
C. The average velocity of the puck can be calculated by dividing the displacement (21 meters) by the total time taken (20 seconds). The average velocity is 21 meters / 20 seconds = 1.05 meters per second.
D. The average speed of the puck can be calculated by dividing the total distance (21 meters) by the total time taken (20 seconds). The average speed is 21 meters / 20 seconds = 1.05 meters per second.
E. If one of the bumpers was removed, the puck would continue moving in a straight line based on Newton's first law of motion, also known as the law of inertia. An object in motion will continue moving in a straight line at a constant velocity unless acted upon by an external force. In this case, the puck would no longer have a boundary to bounce off, so it would continue moving in a straight line until another force, such as friction, stopped it.