0
Still curious? Ask our experts.
Chat with our AI personalities
Rene
Ross
JordanAdd your answer:
Earn +20 pts
What is the displacement of a cyclist who travels 1 mile north then 1 mile east and finally 1 mile south?
The cyclist ends up 1 mile east of the starting point (unless the cycling takes place near the north or south pole!). So the displacement is 1 mile in an easterly direction.
What is the resultant displacement of someone who runs 5 miles east and 4 miles west?
5 miles minus 4 miles is 1 mile East of the starting point. Displacement is a vector quantity, so it must have magnitude and direction.
Can distance ever be negative?
No. Distance is never negative, and total distance travelled doesn't decrease during a trip. The distance from A to B is the same as the distance from B to A. Displacement, on the other hand, can be negative, and can decrease during a trip. The displacement from A to B is the same magnitude, but opposite sign, as the displacement from B to A. An example would be if you went from your home to a friend's house 1 mile to the east. After you reach your friend's house, you have travelled a distance of 1 mile and your displacement from your starting position is 1 mile. When you come back home from your friends house, you travel a distance of 1 more mile. Your total distance travelled is now 2 miles, but your displacement from your starting location is zero (because you are back where you started.)
How many points are on the globe that you can go 1 mile south 1 mile east and 1 mile north and still end up in the same point you started at?
There is one - the north pole. Note that you could go 1 mile south, 1 mile west, and one mile back north to end up on the north pole where you began your trip.Similarly, you could do the opposite directions from the south pole. Go 1 mile north, then 1 mile east or west, and go 1 mile back south to end up on the south pole again.(Note that moving E or W from a point near the poles involves a curved path rather than a straight line.)No, there are an infinite number. At any point on the circle that is 1+1/(2 x pi) miles from the south pole, you can go 1 mile south, 1 mile west will do a complete circuit of the South pole and get you back to where you were after the South leg, and then 1 mile North will get you back to where you started.And at any point on the circle that is 1 + 1/(4 x pi) miles from the South Pole, you can go 1 mile South, 1 mile west will do 2 laps around the pole, and 1 mile North will take you back to where you started ... etc.
Is a square mile 1 mile by 1 mile?
Yes but also 2 miles by half a mile 10 miles by 1/10th a mile etc
