What is the displacement and average velocity of a classic car in a road rally?

In summary, the conversation discusses participating in an antique classic car road rally with a 1956 Studebaker Golden Hawk. The rally course consists of segments of traveling north at 25.0 m/s for 30.0 min, east at 32.0 m/s for 40.0 min, and northeast at 30.0 m/s for 50.0 min. The problem asks for the displacement vector (magnitude and direction), distance traveled, average velocity vector (magnitude and direction), and average speed for the entire trip. The equations used to solve the problem are not mentioned. The attempt at a solution involved drawing a vector for each segment and finding the distance traveled, but the problem has not been solved after an
  • #1
dancingfish897
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Homework Statement


You enter an antique classic car road rally with your 1956 Studebaker Golden Hawk. The rally course consists of the following segments: travel north at 25.0 m/s for 30.0 min, then east at 32.0 m/sfor 40.0 min, and finally northeast at 30.0 m/s for 50.0 min. For the entire trip, determine the following.

(a) displacement vector (magnitude and direction) and distance traveled
displacement vector magnitude ____

displacement vector direction ___

distance ___

(b) average velocity vector (magnitude and direction) and average speed
average velocity vector magnitude ___

average velocity vector direction ____

average speed ____

Homework Equations

The Attempt at a Solution


I've been working on this problem for about an hour and haven't gotten it right yet.
 
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  • #2
Did you try to draw ? You can find the distance traveled in eah segment and show them as a vector, since you have also direction information( which its given)
 

1. What is a vector in physics?

A vector in physics is a quantity that has both magnitude and direction. It is represented by an arrow, with the length of the arrow representing the magnitude and the direction of the arrow representing the direction. Examples of vectors in physics include force, velocity, and acceleration.

2. How is a vector different from a scalar?

A scalar is a quantity that has only magnitude and no direction, while a vector has both magnitude and direction. For example, temperature is a scalar quantity, as it only has a numerical value, while displacement is a vector quantity, as it has both magnitude (distance) and direction (the direction of movement).

3. How do you add and subtract vectors?

To add or subtract vectors, you must first find the components of each vector in the same direction, usually the x and y axes. Then, add or subtract the components separately. The resulting vector will have a magnitude equal to the square root of the sum of the squares of the individual components, and a direction determined by the tangent of the angle between the vector and the x-axis.

4. What is the difference between displacement and distance?

Displacement is a vector quantity that refers to the change in position of an object from its initial position to its final position, taking into account both the magnitude and direction of the movement. Distance, on the other hand, is a scalar quantity that refers to the total length of the path traveled by an object, without considering the direction of movement.

5. How is the Pythagorean theorem used in vector problems?

The Pythagorean theorem, which states that in a right triangle, the square of the hypotenuse is equal to the sum of the squares of the other two sides, can be used to find the magnitude of a vector. In vector problems, the components of the vector can be treated as the sides of a right triangle, and the magnitude of the vector can be found using the Pythagorean theorem.

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