Question

While John is traveling along a straight interstate highway, he notices that the mile marker

reads 259 km. John travels until he reaches
the 137 km marker and then retraces his path
to the 166 km marker.
What is John’s resultant displacement from
the 259 km marker?
How far has he traveled?

Answer 1

So, John's resultant displacement from the 259 km marker is 108 km and the total distance he has traveled is 151 km. Please check the explanation below to help you remember the steps.

Step-by-step explanation:

John's initial position is at the 259 km marker. He first travels to the 137 km marker, which is a displacement of 259 km - 137 km = 122 km. Then, he retraces his path to the 166 km marker, which is a displacement of 166 km - 137 km = 29 km.

To find the resultant displacement, we add these two displacements together: 122 km + 29 km = 151 km.

However, since John retraced his path, his actual displacement from the 259 km marker is less than this. We subtract the 151 km from the initial 259 km to find his final displacement: 259 km - 151 km = 108 km.

The total distance John traveled is the sum of the absolute values of his displacements, or 122 km + 29 km = 151 km.

So, John's resultant displacement from the 259 km marker is 108 km and the total distance he has traveled is 151 km.