If a car travels 60 mi. north for one-half hour, 100 mi. west for one hour, and 60 mi. south for 30 minutes, what is the total displacement of the car?
PLEASE HELP ME!!!!
So he goes 60miles in a half hour? Wow.
100mi W for one hour?
then
60 mi S in 30 min? I hope he gets a speeding ticket.
Displacement=60N+100W+60S
= 60N+100w-60N=100W
To find the total displacement of the car, we need to calculate the net change in its position. Displacement is a vector quantity, meaning it has both magnitude (the distance) and direction.
Let's break down the problem step by step:
1. The car travels 60 miles north for one-half hour. The displacement in the north direction is 60 miles since the car is not changing its east-west position. The displacement in the north direction is positive.
2. The car then travels 100 miles west for one hour. The displacement in the west direction is 100 miles since the car is not changing its north-south position. The displacement in the west direction is negative because it is in the opposite direction of our chosen positive direction.
3. Finally, the car travels 60 miles south for 30 minutes (or 0.5 hours). The displacement in the south direction is 60 miles since the car is not changing its east-west position. The displacement in the south direction is negative because it is in the opposite direction of our chosen positive direction.
Now, let's calculate the total displacement:
Displacement in the north direction: +60 miles
Displacement in the west direction: -100 miles
Displacement in the south direction: -60 miles
To find the total displacement, we need to add these values together:
Total displacement = (+60) + (-100) + (-60)
Total displacement = -40 miles
The total displacement of the car is -40 miles, which means it is 40 miles to the west of its starting position.