Question

Isabel Physics travels a displacement of 2.50 km north followed by 4.30 km south and then 1.40 km north. What is her final displacement? What total distance did she travel?

Answer 1

Step-by-step explanation:

Total displacement towards north = 2.50 km - 4.3 km + 1.4 km

= -0.4 km

Displacement is a vector quantity so we took negative sign when direction reversed.

Total distance travelled = 2.5 + 4.3 + 1.4 km

= 8.2 km

Distance is a scalar quantity so no reversal of sign on reversal of direction.