An observer has measured the starting position of a toy vehicle as xs = 9.3 ± 0.2 m and the finishing position as xf = 14.4 ± 0.3 m. Calculate the displacement and the error in the displacement.
I am not sure where to start at all.
To calculate the displacement and the error in the displacement, you need to subtract the starting position from the finishing position and then consider the individual errors. Here's how you can do it step by step:
Step 1: Subtract the starting position from the finishing position:
Displacement = xf - xs
Given that:
xs = 9.3 ± 0.2 m
xf = 14.4 ± 0.3 m
Plugging in the values:
Displacement = (14.4 ± 0.3) m - (9.3 ± 0.2) m
Step 2: Perform the subtraction, considering the errors:
Displacement = (14.4 m - 9.3 m) ± (0.3 m + 0.2 m)
Displacement = (5.1 ± 0.5) m
Therefore, the displacement of the toy vehicle is 5.1 m ± 0.5 m.
To summarize:
- Displacement = 5.1 m
- Error in Displacement = ± 0.5 m