Question

2. Link walks 5 miles east, then 7 miles north, than 2 miles south.

a) What distance did he travel? What is his displacement?
b) Suppose Link made the whole journey in 4 hours. What was his average speed and
average velocity during his journey?

Answer 1

Link traveled 14 miles in total, with a displacement of 7 miles north. His average speed was 3.5 miles per hour, and his average velocity was 1.75 miles per hour north.

Step-by-step explanation:

To find the distance traveled, we sum the magnitudes of each leg of Link's journey:
Distance = 5 miles + 7 miles + 2 miles = 14 miles.
To find the displacement, we use vector addition. Since Link traveled 5 miles east and then 2 miles south, these two legs cancel each other out, leaving only the northward displacement of 7 miles.
Displacement = 7 miles north.

To find average speed, we divide the total distance traveled by the time taken:
Average speed = 14 miles / 4 hours = 3.5 miles per hour.
To find average velocity, we divide the displacement by the time taken:
Average velocity = 7 miles north / 4 hours = 1.75 miles per hour north.