Distance and displacement - problems and solutions

Solved Problems in Linear Motion – Distance and displacement

1. A car travels along a straight road 100 m east then 50 m west. Find distance and displacement of the car.

Solution Distance and displacement - problems and solutions 1

Distance is 100 meters + 50 meters = 150 meters

Displacement is 100 meters – 50 meters = 50 meters, to the east.

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2. A person walks 4 meters east, then walks 3 meters north. Determine distance and displacement.

Solution

Distance and displacement - problems and solutions 2

3. A runner travels around rectangle track with length = 50 meters and width = 20 meters. After travels around rectangle track two times, runner back to starting point. Determine distance and displacement.

Solution

Circumference of rectangle = 2(50 meters) + 2(20 meters) = 100 meters + 40 meters = 140 meters.

Travels around rectangle 2 times = 2(140 meters) = 280 meters.

Distance = 280 m.

Displacement = 0 m. (the runner return to the starting point)

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4. Car’s speedometer reads 10,500 km at the start of a trip and 10,700 km at the end. Determine distance and displacement.

Solution

Distance = 10,700 km – 10,500 km = 200 km.

Displacement = 0 km. (car return to the starting point)

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