Question

You walk 20.0 m north, 8.0 m west, then 20.0 m south over an elapsed time of one minute. Calculate displacement and velocity (with angle and direction) and total distance traveled and speed.

Answer 1

Given data

*The given time is t = 1 min

*Person walks the distance towards north is 20.0 m

*Person walks the distance towards west is 8.0 m

*Person walks the distance towrds south is 20.0 m

The diagram is given below

As the person firstly walks 20.0 m north, and then 8.0 m west, and then travels 20.0 m south. Hence, the displacement traveled by the person is s = 8.0 m.

The formula for the magnitude of the velocity is given as

$v=\frac{s}{t}$

Substitute the values in the above expression as

$\begin{gathered} v=\frac{8.0}{1} \\ =8.0\text{ m/min} \end{gathered}$

Hence, the magnitude of the velocity of the person is v = 8.0 m/min

The total distance traveled by the person is calculated as

$\begin{gathered} d=20.0+8.0+20.0 \\ =48.0\text{ m} \end{gathered}$

Hence, the total distance traveled by the person is d = 48.0 m

The formula for the speed is given as

$u=\frac{d}{t}$

Substitute the known values in the above expression as

$\begin{gathered} u=\frac{48.0}{1} \\ =48.0\text{ m/min} \end{gathered}$

Hence, the speed is u = 48.0 m/min