Question

A hiker walks 20.51 m at 33.16 degrees. What is the Y component of his displacement?

Answer 1

The y component of his displacement is 11.22 meters

Step-by-step explanation:

Components of the displacement

The displacement is a vector because it has a magnitude and a direction. Let's suppose a displacement has a magnitude r and a direction θ, measured with respect to the positive x-direction. The horizontal component of the displacement is calculated by:

`x=r\cos\theta`

The vertical component is calculated by:

`y=r\sin\theta`

The hiker has a displacement with magnitude r = 20.51 m at an angle of 33.16 degrees. Substituting in the above equation:

`y=20.51\sin(33.16^\circ)`

`y=11.22\ m`

The y component of his displacement is 11.22 meters