Question

The initial position vector of a particle on the xy plane is (5,2), and its final position vector is (-2,-3). If distance is measured in centimeters.

a. Not enough information
b. The particle moved 10 units to the left and 5 units down
c. The particle moved 7 units to the left and 5 units down
d. The particle moved 7 units to the right and 5 units up

Answer 1

The particle moved 7 units to the left and 5 units down, which can be determined by calculating the displacement as the difference between the final and initial position vectors.

Step-by-step explanation:

To determine how the particle moved on the xy plane, we need to calculate its displacement, which is a vector pointing from the initial position to the final position. To find this, we subtract the initial position vector (5, 2) from the final position vector (-2, -3).

Displacement in x-direction (horizontal):
-2 - 5 = -7

Displacement in y-direction (vertical):
-3 - 2 = -5

Therefore, the particle moved 7 units to the left (negative x-direction) and 5 units down (negative y-direction).