Question

A schoolboy leaves the school and walks 5 meters west to take breakfast at the local market. Then he turns and walks 25 meters east to the football pitch. What is the boy's total displacement from the local market to the football pitch?​

Answer 1

The boy walks 5 meters west to the local market. Walking west means he is moving in the opposite direction of east. So, we can consider the 5 meters as a displacement of -5 meters (negative because it's in the opposite direction).

Then, the boy turns and walks 25 meters east to the football pitch. Walking east is in the opposite direction of west. So, we can consider the 25 meters as a displacement of +25 meters (positive because it's in the same direction).

Step-by-step explanation:

To find the net displacement, we add the individual displacements:

Net Displacement = -5 meters + 25 meters

Net Displacement = 20 meters (east)

Therefore, the boy's total displacement from the local market to the football pitch is 20 meters to the east.