Question

McKaila got on her bicycle on the sidewalk in front of her house. She rode 20 feet down the sidewalk to her friend's house next door. Then, the two of them rode another 75 feet in the same direction to their friend's house down the street. What was McKaila's overall change in position from when she started riding her bicycle at her own house?

Answer 1

McKaila's overall change in position, or displacement, from her starting point after bicycling two segments in the same direction is 95 feet.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question regarding McKaila's bicycle journey is focused on displacement, which is a concept in physics but is also commonly addressed in mathematics, particularly within the domain of vector addition. Displacement refers to the change in position of an object and is a vector quantity—meaning it has both magnitude (distance) and direction.

To calculate McKaila's overall change in position, we simply need to add the segments of her trip together, as they are in the same direction. Her first segment of the trip is 20 feet and the second segment is 75 feet. Thus, her total displacement is:

20 feet + 75 feet = 95 feet

Hence, McKaila's overall change in position from her starting point is 95 feet in the direction she was riding.

Answer 2

Change in position = 95 feet

Step-by-step explanation:

Overall change in position = 75+20 = 95 feet