Question

A tennis ball moves 18 meters northward, then 22 meters southward, then 14 meters northward, and finally 28 meters southward.

1. What is the distance moved?
2. What is the magnitude and the direction of the displacement?
a. 82 meters; 8 meters South
b. 82 meters; 8 meters North
c. 82 meters; 8 meters South
d. 82 meters; 8 meters North

Answer 1

The total distance the tennis ball moved is 82 meters, while the magnitude of the displacement is 18 meters towards the south.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question involves understanding the concepts of distance and displacement which are fundamental to motion in physics. They are vector and scalar quantities respectively.

1. The total distance moved by the tennis ball is the sum of all the movements irrespective of the direction: 18 meters northward + 22 meters southward + 14 meters northward + 28 meters southward = 82 meters.

2. The total displacement is the net movement from the starting point. The northward and southward movements can be directly subtracted since they are in opposite directions: (18+14) meters northward - (22+28) meters southward = 32 meters northward - 50 meters southward = 18 meters southward. The magnitude of the displacement is 18 meters, and the direction is southward. Based on this, the correct answer is: a. 82 meters; 8 meters South