What Is the Camper's Displacement?

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Homework Help Overview

The problem involves calculating the displacement of a camper who travels in multiple directions, specifically 80m at 30°, 110m at 160°, and 42m at 195°. The context is rooted in vector addition and displacement in physics.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Assumption checking

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants discuss the method of calculating resultant displacement using components, with one participant noting a potential error in the third segment of the camper's journey. Another participant questions the implications of encountering a negative value during calculations.

Discussion Status

The discussion is ongoing, with some participants providing guidance on the method while others are exploring the implications of errors and negative values in calculations. There is no explicit consensus on the correct approach yet.

Contextual Notes

Participants are navigating potential mistakes in calculations and the implications of negative results, indicating a need for clarification on the mathematical principles involved.

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Homework Statement


T camper went 80m in the direction of 30°. He then turned and traveled 110m in the direction of 160°. Finally, the camper walked 42m at 195°. What was the camper's displacemnt

Homework Equations


sqrt{Rx^2+Ry^2}


The Attempt at a Solution


Rx
80cos30
110cos160
190cos45
Rx=110.83

Ry
80sin30
110sin160
195sin42
Ry=210.10

(sq. root of (110.83^2+208.1^2))=235.77m


 
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You have the right method. But You've got the third section of his travel wrong. It was 42m at 195 degrees, but you've used something different in your answer.
 
thnxs i didn't realize that i made a mistake. i thought i was doing something wrong.
 
How do you do the square root of a negative? I'm assuming you just make it positive but I'm not sure.
 
why do you want to square root a negative number? That shouldn't happen in this question.

Do you mean what is a negative number squared?
 

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