Question

If Anna walks 80. m to the south, 60. m to the east, 50. m to the north, and then 20. m to the west. What is the magnitude of total displacement Anna has traveled?

210. m.
153. m.
70. m.
50. m.
None of the above.

Answer 1

D. 50m

Step-by-step explanation:

After drawing a diagram, we can see that we end at 40 meters east and 30 meters south of the origin.

Because displacement is a vector quantity, it can be broken down into components in its x and y directions.

We can use trigonometry to determine the hypotenuse length (displacement).

Pythagoras's theorem says a^2+b^2=c^2.

Thus:

30^2+40^2=c^2

900+1600=c^2

2500=c^2

sqrt(2500=sqrt(c^2

50=c

Therefore, your answer is D, 50m.