Can anyone help with displacement?

  • Thread starter Thread starter mathcrzy
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Displacement
Click For Summary

Homework Help Overview

The problem involves calculating the displacement of a car that travels a specified distance in two different directions: first west and then southwest. The subject area pertains to physics, specifically vector addition and displacement.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Assumption checking, Mathematical reasoning

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants discuss the need for showing work and understanding the concepts involved. There are questions about how to find the angle related to the displacement, and some suggest using the Pythagorean theorem and trigonometric functions.

Discussion Status

The discussion is ongoing, with participants exploring various interpretations of the problem. Some guidance has been offered regarding the use of trigonometry and the Pythagorean theorem, but there is no explicit consensus on the approach to take.

Contextual Notes

There is a requirement for participants to show their work in order to receive help, which has led to questions about the original poster's understanding of the problem and the concepts involved.

mathcrzy
Messages
47
Reaction score
0
A car is driven 135 km west and then 30 km southwest. What is the displacement of the car from the point of origin (magnitude and direction)?
km
° south of west
 
Physics news on Phys.org
What have you tried so far? Where is your work?
 
nothing yet. that is the question from my physics book.
 
I'm sorry, but the rules clearly state that you need to show some work to get homework help on this forum. You must know SOMETHING about the problem? What concepts are involved. What are your thoughts about a possible solution?
 
Seems like a math problem involving trigonometry, not so much physics. It seems all you need is the Pythagorean theorem for displacement in km and angle in arctan.
 
i don't know how to find the angle?
 
Using the Pythagorean theorem, find the right triangle whose legs are respectively southward and westward oriented and whose hypotenuse connects origin with destination. Then utilize the arctan function with the legs. I'll leave this up to you.
 

Similar threads

Doubt Calculating the Total Displacement for this Person Walking
  • · Replies 6 ·
Replies
6
Views
2K
Question concerning displacement and vectors
  • · Replies 6 ·
Replies
6
Views
5K
Vector Addition. Where did I go wrong?
  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
13K
Need help with physics magnitude and displacement
  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
4K
Displacement -0.25i + 14.7j from Origin: Final Displacement
  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
2K
Plane Traveling against the wind
  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
1K
Vector Displacement calculation
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
2K
How Do You Calculate a Castaway's Final Position Using Vectors?
  • · Replies 10 ·
Replies
10
Views
4K
Vector Displacement Magnitude Calculation
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
2K
Finding the Magnitude and Direction of the Displacement Vector for a Ship's Trip
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
5K