| 
 
 
| Question 825288:  What is the direction of the final displacement of a car which travels 10 km south, 2 km west, and then 5 km east?
 
 Answer by stanbon(75887)
      (Show Source): 
You can put this solution on YOUR website! What is the direction of the final displacement of a car which travels 10 km south, 2 km west, and then 5 km east? -----
 Start: (0,0)
 10 south to (0,-10)
 2 west to (-2,-10)
 5 east to (3,-10)
 ----
 distance from (0,0) to (3,-10) = sqrt[3^2 + 10^2] = sqrt(109) = 10.44 km
 Angle: tan^-1(-10/3) = -73.3 degrees = 286.7 degrees
 -----------------
 Cheers,
 Stan H.
 
 | 
  
 | 
 |