Position and Displacement question.

In summary, the net displacement of the person walking from the school to the corner store and then home is 625 meters north.
  • #1
ybhathena
42
0

Homework Statement


You walk to the corner store after school to buy a carton of milk before going home. The store is 750 m south of the schoo, and your house is 625 m north of the school. What is your net displacement.


Homework Equations



dT=d1+d2

formula for displacement


The Attempt at a Solution



625-750
= -125

I do not think this is right. Please help!
 
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  • #2
No, it isn't. The first thing you need to do is review the meaning of "net displacement". You started at school and wound up at home. How far from your starting point are you?
 
  • #3
From school to home I am 625 m away.
 
  • #4
hi ybhathena! :smile:
ybhathena said:
You walk to the corner store after school to buy a carton of milk before going home. The store is 750 m south of the schoo, and your house is 625 m north of the school. What is your net displacement.
ybhathena said:
From school to home I am 625 m away.

then that's the answer! :biggrin:

(except that displacement is a vector, so you need to specify the direction also :wink:)
 
  • #5


I would like to clarify that displacement is a vector quantity that describes the change in position of an object, taking into account both the magnitude and direction of the change. In this case, your net displacement would be the distance between your house and the corner store, which is 625 m + 750 m = 1375 m. However, displacement does not depend on the path taken, only the initial and final positions. So, whether you walked directly from the school to the store and then to your house, or took a detour, the displacement would still be the same. In order to find the net displacement, we cannot simply subtract the two distances, as that would only give us the distance traveled, not the displacement. Instead, we need to use the formula dT=d1+d2, where dT is the total displacement and d1 and d2 are the individual displacements. In this case, dT=625 m + (-750 m) = -125 m. This negative sign indicates that your displacement is in the opposite direction of your initial position (north). I hope this helps clarify the concept of displacement for you.
 

1. What is the difference between position and displacement?

Position refers to the location of an object in space, while displacement refers to the change in position of an object from its initial position to its final position.

2. How is displacement calculated?

Displacement can be calculated by subtracting the initial position from the final position.

3. What units are used to measure position and displacement?

Position and displacement are typically measured in units of length, such as meters or centimeters.

4. Can displacement be negative?

Yes, displacement can be negative if an object moves in the opposite direction of its initial position.

5. How does time factor into position and displacement?

Time is an important factor in both position and displacement as it is used to calculate the speed and velocity of an object. Displacement can also be divided by time to calculate an object's average velocity.

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