Final answer:
The person's displacement walking east then west is 70.0 m west, while walking east both times results in a 190.0 m east displacement. The total distance walked in each case is 190.0 m.
Step-by-step explanation:
When a person walks east then west, the displacements cancel each other out because they are in opposite directions. Therefore:
- (a) If a person walks 60.0 m east and then 130 m west, the displacement is 130 m - 60.0 m = 70.0 m west.
- (b) If a person walks east both times, for 60.0 m and then 130 m, the total displacement is 60.0 m + 130 m = 190.0 m east.
- (c) In both cases, the total distance walked is the sum of the individual distances: 60.0 m + 130 m = 190.0 m.
Displacement is a vector quantity that includes both magnitude and direction, whereas distance is a scalar quantity that only includes magnitude.