Question

A woman runs 100 m (North), walks 200 m (North), then runs 100 m (North) again. Calculate:

a) The woman's total distance traveled.
b) The woman's displacement.

a) 400 m, b) 0 m
a) 300 m, b) 0 m
a) 400 m, b) 100 m
a) 300 m, b) 100 m

Answer 1

The total distance traveled by the woman is 400 meters, and her displacement, considering all movements were in the north direction, is also 400 meters to the north.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question involves determining the total distance traveled and the displacement of a woman who moves in straight lines along north and east directions.

a) The total distance traveled by the woman is simply the sum of the lengths of each segment of her trip, regardless of direction. That is:

• 100 m (North)
• 200 m (North)
• 100 m (North)

Adding these, we get the total distance traveled:
100 m + 200 m + 100 m = 400 m

b) The displacement is a vector quantity that considers the overall change in position. Since all her movements are in the same direction (North), her displacement is the same as the total distance traveled in the direction of her final position relative to her starting point:

Displacement = 400 m (North)