How to find displacement of 400m track

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Homework Help Overview

The problem involves calculating the displacement of a runner completing 6.5 laps around a 400m track. The original poster expresses confusion regarding the correct displacement value, initially suggesting 200m but noting a provided answer of 160m.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Assumption checking

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Some participants suggest considering additional details about the track's shape and the runner's starting point. Others discuss the concept of displacement as the shortest distance between the start and end points, questioning how curvature might affect the calculation.

Discussion Status

The discussion is ongoing, with participants exploring different interpretations of the problem. Some guidance has been offered regarding the importance of the track's shape and the runner's position, but no consensus has been reached.

Contextual Notes

There is mention of a diagram accompanying the question, which may provide additional context for understanding the displacement calculation.

Rbraind
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Homework Statement



I know this is basic but I'm stumped

Homework Equations



a runner runs 6.5 laps around a 400m track, what's the displacement. I thought it would be 200m but the answer provided says 160m and I just can't work out how to get to this answer

The Attempt at a Solution

 
Last edited:
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You might need some more details about the shape of the track and the runner's starting point.
 
Displacement will equal the length of the shortest line possible drawn from the starting point to the ending point. As you can see, if the track has any curvature at all during that half of a lap, the displacement will be less than 200 m.
 
Thanks people for your help. However I'm an idiot! Just realized there was a diagram with the question and the displacement marked in...
 

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