Question

3. Michael goes on a Camel Safari in Africa.

Answer 1

Answers:

Distance = 14 km

Displacement = 4 km east

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Explanation:

The total distance is simply the sum of the values given. So he traveled a total of 5+4+5 = 9+5 = 14 km overall.

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The displacement is where a drawing may come in handy. Draw an xy axis. Place point A at the origin (0,0). This is where Michael starts his trip. Then move up to (0,5) to indicate he goes 5 km north. Call this point B.

Afterward, mark point C at (4,5) to show he has gone 4 km east. Finally, point D is at (4,0) because he went 5 km south

The displacement is only concerned with two points: The start and end point. Nothing else matters. We started at A(0,0) and ended at D(4,0). So we've gone 4 km east overall. The direction is important when it comes to displacement. Simply saying "4 km" isn't enough. So in a sense, we could take a shortcut from A directly to D, bypassing the other points B and C.

See the diagram below for a visual.