Question 697813: How do I figure out displacement?
Ashley decides to go for a walk. She walks 5 blocks west, 2 blocks south, 5 blocks east and finally 2 blocks north. What is her total displacement? (Include direction, whether east, west, south, north, or n/a .)
I'm working on homework and I've never learned this before. How would I go about figuring out the displacement? Is there a certain equation to use?
Thank you so much!!
Answer by jim_thompson5910(35256)   (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website! Draw a picture. Ideally, you'll use a coordinate grid to help you out. Start at any point you like. Then move 5 paces to the left. Move 2 paces down. Then move back 5 paces (you'll be directly under the starting point). Finally, move 2 paces back up. You should have ended up at the same spot you started from. This works no matter where you start. Of course, each 'pace' is the same distance. Use a ruler to make sure this is so.
Since you end up in the same spot you started, your total displacement is 0 blocks. Displacement is how far you have gone if you only compare the starting and ending points. If the two points are different, then you'll have some positive displacement (the direct straight line distance from start to end). If the two points are the same, then the displacement is 0...ie, you haven't gone anywhere.
Since you're second to last destination has you walking 2 blocks north (to get back home), I would say that you're looking north when you finally reach home. So you can say that the displacement is 0 and your direction is north.
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