Hints on how to approach this vector displacement problem?

[JessicaJ283782]

A motorist drives south at 32.0 m/s for 4.00 min, then turns west and travels at 55.0 m/s for 5.10 min, and finally travels northwest at 12.0 m/s for 2.00 min. Find the following values.

1.total vector displacement (m) at a _ degree south of west
2.average speed (m/s)
3. average velocity m/s (magnitude) at a _ degree south of west.

I'm not too sure how to approach this problem at all? Any hints would be appreciated, thank you!

 

[Chestermiller]

A motorist drives south at 26.0 m/s for 3.00 min, then turns west and travels at 25.0 m/s for 2.20 min, and finally travels northwest at 30.0 m/s for 1.00 min. For this 6.20 min trip, find the following values.

1.total vector displacement (m) at a _ degree south of west
2.average speed (m/s)
3. average velocity m/s (magnitude) at a _ degree south of west.

I'm not too sure how to approach this problem at all? Any hints would be appreciated, thank you!

Force yourself to think of what you would do first. You don't have to solve the whole problem. Just tell us what you would do first, and what your results are.

Chet

 

[JessicaJ283782]

I think you would have to draw the vectors first. So, the first one would be straight down and would have (0,26) as the coordinates. The second would be (25,0) pointing to the left. Then the third one would connect the two others. So displacement is all of them added up correct?

 

[Chestermiller]

I think you would have to draw the vectors first. So, the first one would be straight down and would have (0,26) as the coordinates. The second would be (25,0) pointing to the left. Then the third one would connect the two others. So displacement is all of them added up correct?

Well, this isn't correct, but it is a good start. Given the speeds and velocities, how far does the motorist travel during each leg of the journey (in meters)?

 

[HalfLostAndSearching]

1. To find the total vector displacement, you will need to break down the motion into its components (north-south and east-west). Use the formula d=vt, where d is the displacement, v is the velocity, and t is the time. For the first part of the motion, the displacement will be in the south direction, and for the second part, it will be in the west direction. For the final part, you will need to use the Pythagorean theorem to find the displacement in the northwest direction. Once you have all three components, you can use vector addition to find the total displacement and its direction.

2. To find the average speed, you will need to use the formula v= d/t, where v is the speed, d is the distance, and t is the time. You can find the total distance traveled by adding up the distances in each direction. Then, divide the total distance by the total time taken to find the average speed.

3. To find the average velocity, you will need to use the formula v= d/t, where v is the velocity, d is the displacement, and t is the time. You can find the total displacement using the method described in #1. Then, divide the total displacement by the total time taken to find the average velocity. Remember to include the direction in your answer, which will be in the southwest direction.

I hope this helps you approach the problem. Remember to use the correct formulas and units when solving the problem. Good luck!