A delivery van drives 40 km east, then 15 km back west, then 25 km east again.
Contributed by StemPy LabTry it on paper first. A hint, the key idea and the worked solution are here when you need them.
A delivery van drives east, then back west, then east again. Find the total distance and the displacement from the start.
Need a reminder? The key ideaShow
Distance is the length of the whole path; it has no direction and never decreases. Displacement is the straight line from start to end, with a direction. On a straight road use signs; for a right-angle turn, displacement .
The worked solution
Have you tried it?
Work it out on paper first. It is fine to get stuck or make a mistake: that is how we learn. When you are ready, go through the solution one step at a time, and check each step against your own.
Step 1. Distance. .
Step 2. Displacement. east.
Answer: ; east.
Check. The displacement is smaller than the distance because the van turned back once.
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