Can anyone help with displacement?

In summary, the conversation was about finding the displacement of a car that was driven 135 km west and then 30 km southwest from its point of origin, including the magnitude and direction. The individual asking for help had not attempted the problem yet and mentioned it was from their physics book. They were advised to show their work and discuss the concepts involved. It was suggested that the problem involved trigonometry and the use of the Pythagorean theorem to find the displacement in km and angle using arctan. The individual then asked for clarification on how to find the angle.
  • #1
mathcrzy
47
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
 
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  • #2
What have you tried so far? Where is your work?
 
  • #3
nothing yet. that is the question from my physics book.
 
  • #4
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?
 
  • #5
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.
 
  • #6
i don't know how to find the angle?
 
  • #7
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.
 

1. What is displacement?

Displacement is a measure of the change in an object's position with respect to time. It is a vector quantity, meaning it has both magnitude and direction.

2. How is displacement different from distance?

Distance is a scalar quantity that refers to the actual length traveled by an object. Displacement, on the other hand, takes into account an object's starting and ending positions, regardless of the path taken.

3. How is displacement calculated?

Displacement can be calculated by subtracting the final position from the initial position. It is often represented by the symbol Δx.

4. What are some examples of displacement?

Examples of displacement include a car driving from one city to another, a ball being thrown and caught, or a person walking from one end of a room to the other.

5. Why is displacement important in science?

Displacement is an important concept in science because it helps us understand an object's motion and its changes over time. It is also a fundamental concept in the study of forces and motion, and is used in various fields such as physics, engineering, and geology.

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