A person walks 2.8597x10^1 m East, then turns around and walks 8.7898x10^1 m West. The total time to walk this distance was 4.4004x10^2 s. What is the velocity of the walker, expressed to 3 significant figures?
Note: Your answer is assumed to be reduced to the highest power possible.
Your Answer: x10
Answer
To get the velocity of the walker, we need to divide the total distance traveled by the total time taken.
First, let's convert the distances to meters without scientific notation:
Distance East = 2.8597 × 10^1 m = 28.597 m
Distance West = 8.7898 × 10^1 m = 87.898 m
Next, we add the distances traveled in each direction:
Total distance = 28.597 m + (-87.898 m) = -59.301 m
Now, we calculate the velocity by dividing the total distance by the total time:
Velocity = Total distance / Total time
Total time = 4.4004 × 10^2 s = 440.04 s
Velocity = (-59.301 m) / (440.04 s)
Now, let's evaluate the velocity:
Velocity = -0.134809616 m/s
To express the velocity to 3 significant figures, we need to round it off:
Velocity = -0.135 m/s
Therefore, the velocity of the walker, expressed to 3 significant figures, is -0.135 m/s.