What is the total displacement, to the nearest tenth, of a car that travels 35 km north, then 20 km east?

To calculate the total displacement of the car, we can treat this problem as finding the length of the hypotenuse of a right triangle. The two legs of the triangle represent the distances traveled north and east.

Given:
- Distance traveled north = 35 km
- Distance traveled east = 20 km

The displacement \( d \) can be calculated using the Pythagorean theorem:

\[
d = \sqrt{(35^2 + 20^2)}
\]

\[
d = \sqrt{(1225 + 400)} = \sqrt{1625}
\]

\[
d \approx 40.3 \text{ km}
\]

So, the total displacement is approximately **40.3 km** to the nearest tenth.

Would you like to know more details, or do you have any questions?

Here are 5 related questions:
1. What is the difference between displacement and distance?
2. How would the displacement change if the car traveled 20 km west instead of east?
3. How do you calculate the direction of displacement in such a problem?
4. What would the total distance traveled by the car be in this scenario?
5. How is the concept of displacement used in physics to determine velocity?

**Tip:** Displacement is a vector quantity, meaning it has both magnitude and direction, unlike distance, which is scalar.

Learn how to calculate the total displacement of a car traveling 35 km north and 20 km east using the Pythagorean theorem. This step-by-step solution explains key trigonometric concepts for finding displacement and uses the formula d = sqrt(a^2 + b^2). Ideal for students in Grades 9-10.

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