Question

A dog walks 14 meters to the east and then 20 meters back to the west what's the magnitude and direction of displacement

Answer 1

Answer:

6 meters west

Explanation:

In one-dimensional motion, displacement is defined as changes in position which mathematically can be expressed as:

$\displaystyle{\Delta x = x_f-x_i}$

Our initial position is 14 meters and final position is 20 meters. Therefore, we can input as the followings:

$\displaystyle{x_i = 14, \, x_f = 20}$

Therefore, we have displacement = 20-14 = 6 meters. 6 meters is our magnitude but since vector from the west has more magnitude than vector from the east. Therefore, west overrules east. Hence, the answer is 6 meters west.