speedyboy said:Homework Statement
A man drives 12k west, then 15km north, then 20 km east.
Determine the magnitude and direction of the resultant displacement[/B]Homework Equations
The Attempt at a Solution
I don't get the question and I really have no idea how to solve this problem, can someone help me :([/B]
speedyboy said:How do I determine the magnitude and direction of the displacement? What formula will I use
Trigonometry an Pythagoras is all you need.speedyboy said:How do I determine the magnitude and direction of the displacement? What formula will I use
The total distance traveled by the man is 47km. This can be calculated by using the Pythagorean theorem to find the hypotenuse of the right triangle formed by the 12km west, 15km north, and 20km east legs.
The direction of the man's final position is northeast. This can be determined by looking at the direction of each leg of the journey and combining them using vector addition.
The man's final position is 17km away from his starting point. This can be found by taking the difference between the distance traveled north (15km) and the distance traveled west (12km).
The man's displacement is 17km in a northeast direction. Displacement is the straight-line distance and direction from the starting point to the final position, and it does not take into account the actual path of the journey.
Vector addition is significant in this scenario because it allows us to accurately determine the final position and displacement of the man. It also takes into account both the distance and direction of each leg of the journey, providing a more complete understanding of the overall movement. Additionally, vector addition is a fundamental concept in physics and is used in many real-world applications to analyze and predict motion.