What Is John's Resultant Displacement on the Highway?

  • Thread starter Thread starter rdhddstpchld9
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Displacement Motion
Click For Summary
SUMMARY

John's resultant displacement from the 236 km marker on the highway is calculated by considering his movements along the interstate. Initially, he travels to the 140 km marker, resulting in a displacement of -96 km (236 km - 140 km). He then retraces his path to the 173 km marker, which adds a displacement of +33 km (173 km - 140 km). The final resultant displacement is -63 km (236 km - 173 km), confirming that displacement is a vector quantity with both direction and magnitude.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of vector quantities
  • Basic knowledge of displacement and distance
  • Familiarity with coordinate systems
  • Ability to perform arithmetic operations with signed numbers
NEXT STEPS
  • Study vector addition and subtraction techniques
  • Learn about the differences between distance and displacement
  • Explore real-world applications of displacement in physics
  • Investigate graphical representation of vectors
USEFUL FOR

Students in physics, educators teaching kinematics, and anyone interested in understanding vector quantities and their applications in real-world scenarios.

rdhddstpchld9
Messages
1
Reaction score
0
While John is traveling along a straight inter-
state highway, he notices that the mile marker
reads 236 km. John travels until he reaches
the 140 km marker and then retraces his path
to the 173 km marker.
What is John’s resultant displacement from
the 236 km marker?
Answer in units of km.

I keep getting 63, but the computer says it's wrong
 
Physics news on Phys.org
Displacement is a vector, it has direction as well as magnitude.
 

Similar threads

Replies
4
Views
13K
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
10K
  • · Replies 9 ·
Replies
9
Views
2K
  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
5K
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
4K
Replies
1
Views
7K
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
3K
Replies
20
Views
3K
Replies
1
Views
1K
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
3K