Question

A student follows this path on the school grounds: 30 meters south across the football field, 45 meters east towards the building. What is their displacement from the starting position?

A) 15 meters
B) 30 meters
C) 45 meters
D) 60 meters

Answer 1

The student's displacement from the starting position is 75 meters west.

Step-by-step explanation:

To find the displacement of the student, we need to add the two vectors representing the distance moved south and east.

If we consider south as the negative y-axis and east as the positive x-axis, the displacement vector can be found by adding the two vectors:

Displacement = 30 m south - 45 m east

Displacement = -30 m - 45 m

Displacement = -75 m

Therefore, the student's displacement from the starting position is 75 meters west.