Math Problem Statement
David walks 3km north and then 4km east. What is his distance and displacement?
Solution
To find David's distance and displacement, we approach the problem as follows:
1. Distance:
The total distance is the sum of all the paths David walked. He walks:
- 3 km north
- 4 km east
Thus, the total distance traveled is:
2. Displacement:
Displacement is the straight-line distance between David's starting and ending points. Since David's movement forms a right-angled triangle (with the northward and eastward walks as the two legs), we can use the Pythagorean theorem to find the displacement.
Let the displacement be . According to the Pythagorean theorem:
Summary:
- Distance traveled = 7 km
- Displacement = 5 km in a northeast direction.
Would you like more details on any part of this solution?
Here are five related questions:
- What would the displacement be if David walked 5 km north and 12 km east?
- How do you calculate the angle of the displacement vector in this scenario?
- What is the difference between distance and displacement in general terms?
- How would you compute displacement for a journey that forms a different triangle?
- How does the Pythagorean theorem apply to real-world navigation?
Tip: Displacement is always a straight line from start to end, regardless of the path taken.
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Math Problem Analysis
Mathematical Concepts
Geometry
Distance
Displacement
Formulas
Distance = sum of paths
Pythagorean theorem: a^2 + b^2 = c^2
Theorems
Pythagorean theorem
Suitable Grade Level
Grades 6-8
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