Examine the scenario.
A child starts at a position of 2 m east of his house. He moves 1 m south, 5 m west, and then 1 m north.
What is his displacement for this trip?
3 m west
5 m west
1 m north
7 m
A?
Yes, A is correct.
To find the child's displacement, we need to determine the overall change in their position, regardless of the path taken. Displacement is a vector quantity, meaning it has both magnitude and direction.
In this scenario, we can break down the child's movements as follows:
1. The child starts at a position of 2 m east of his house.
2. He moves 1 m south, which changes his position to 2 m east and 1 m south.
3. He then moves 5 m west, which changes his position to 2 m east, 1 m south, and 5 m west.
4. Finally, he moves 1 m north, resulting in a final position of 2 m east, 1 m south, 5 m west, and 1 m north.
Given that the child started at 2 m east of his house and ended up 5 m west, the final displacement is 3 m west. Therefore, the correct answer is 3 m west (option A).