A car travels 100 m north and then 100 m east. What is the magnitude of the disp

A car travels 100 m north and then 100 m east. What is the magnitude of the displacement from the starting point? (2000)

A car travels 100 m north and then 100 m east. What is the magnitude of the displacement from the starting point? (2000)

Correct Answer: 141.42 m

Step 1: Understand that displacement is the shortest distance from the starting point to the ending point.
Step 2: Visualize the car's path: it goes 100 m north and then 100 m east, forming a right triangle.
Step 3: Identify the two sides of the triangle: one side is 100 m (north) and the other side is 100 m (east).
Step 4: Use the Pythagorean theorem to find the hypotenuse (displacement). The formula is: Displacement = √(side1^2 + side2^2).
Step 5: Substitute the values into the formula: Displacement = √(100^2 + 100^2).
Step 6: Calculate the squares: 100^2 = 10000, so Displacement = √(10000 + 10000).
Step 7: Add the squares: 10000 + 10000 = 20000.
Step 8: Take the square root: Displacement = √20000.
Step 9: Calculate the square root: √20000 = 141.42 m.
Step 10: Conclude that the magnitude of the displacement from the starting point is 141.42 m.

Displacement – Displacement is the shortest distance from the initial to the final position, represented as a vector.
Pythagorean Theorem – Used to calculate the magnitude of displacement when movement occurs in perpendicular directions.