Final answer:
Displacement considers only the initial and final positions, making the path irrelevant for the final value. The displacements of the two individuals who traveled in different sequences will be the same and a position versus time graph for an object speeding up is not a straight line.
Step-by-step explanation:
Understanding Displacement in Physics
When considering the scenario where a person walks 2 blocks east and then 5 blocks north, compared to another person walking 5 blocks north and then 2 blocks east, the displacement of the first person won’t be more than the displacement of the second person. This is because displacement is calculated based on the initial and final position of an object (or person in this case) regardless of the path taken.
So, the answer to the question “A person walks 2 blocks east and 5 blocks north. Another person walks 5 blocks north and then two blocks east. The displacement of the first person will be more than the displacement of the second person.” is b. False. Both individuals, regardless of the order in which they travel, will have the same displacement since they start and end at the same points.
When discussing the case of walking in the wrong direction compared to the correct one, the magnitude of the total displacement will be different, as the wrong turn changes the final position relative to the starting position. Therefore, the true or false statement that the magnitude of his total displacement will be the same as it would have been had he followed directions correctly, is b. False.
The position vs time graph of an object that is speeding up will not be a straight line. Instead, a speeding up object will have a curved line on a position versus time graph, indicating increasing speed over time. The correct answer to whether the graph would be a straight line is b. False.