Let's work through the steps outlined in the activity.

Measurements given:

• Step b: Distance walked forward = 2.7 m
• Step c: Distance walked backward (turn around 180°) = 1.3 m
• Step d: Walked forward again = 2.45 m
• Step e: Measured displacement = 3.9 m

Task Breakdown:

g. Calculating total distance:

1. Total distance (b + c + d): $\text{Total distance} = 2.7 \, \text{m} + 1.3 \, \text{m} + 2.45 \, \text{m} = 6.45 \, \text{m}$

2. Calculated displacement (b - c + d): $\text{Calculated displacement} = 2.7 \, \text{m} - 1.3 \, \text{m} + 2.45 \, \text{m} = 3.85 \, \text{m}$

h. Measured displacement (from e): 3.9 m

• Comparison: The calculated displacement (3.85 m) is very close to the measured displacement (3.9 m). The small difference might be due to rounding or slight inaccuracies in measurement.

Would you like further details on any of these steps?

Five questions for further exploration:

1. How would the calculated displacement change if the initial forward distance was 3 m instead of 2.7 m?
2. How can you calculate the average speed if you know the total time taken?
3. What is the difference between total distance and displacement?
4. How would you represent the displacement vectors graphically?
5. How would the displacement change if you took the same path but reversed the walking order?

Tip:

Displacement depends only on the initial and final positions, not the path taken. However, distance accounts for the total path length.