Question

One person is moving toward east, and another is moving along the path bisecting north-east with the same velocity. Then, how can you write the velocity of the 2nd person with respect to the 1st?

A) East
B) North
C) North-east
D) It depends on their velocities

Answer 1

The velocity of the second person with respect to the first would appear to be in the northeast direction, as it includes a northern component along with the eastern component.

Step-by-step explanation:

To determine the velocity of the 2nd person with respect to the 1st, we must understand that velocity is a vector quantity, which means it has both magnitude and direction. The first person is moving toward east, and the second is moving along the path that bisects the northeast direction. Because the first person's motion is purely in the east direction, any movement of the second person toward north or south does not affect the analysis in the east-west line. Therefore, the velocity of the second person with respect to the first would have a northern component in addition to the eastern component, making the relative velocity of the second person appear to be in a direction northeast from the viewpoint of the first person.