Final answer:
The student's question involves using vector addition to find the displacement and direction to reach a final destination from a starting point, which is a high school mathematics problem.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student's question relates to the application of vector addition to determine the displacement and direction between two points, which is a concept within high school mathematics, specifically within a unit that covers geometry or trigonometry. To find the displacement from the starting point to the final position, one must use vector addition.
The key concept here involves calculating the resultant vector of the two legs of the journey, by breaking them down into their north/south and east/west components and then using the Pythagorean theorem to find the magnitude of the resultant vector. This resultant vector provides both the distance and direction from the starting point to the final position.
For instance, one could solve a problem that begins with an 18.0 m walk west and then a 25.0 m walk north. By representing these as vector displacements and summing them, one obtains the resultant displacement in terms of both magnitude and compass direction.