Question

Calculate the total displacement of a mouse walking along a ruler, if it begins at the x=5cm, and then does the following: It walks to x=12cm It then walks a displacement of -8cm Lastly, it walks to the location x=7cm

Answer 1

To begin, the mouse walks from 5 to 12 cm, for a displacement of 7 cm. Next, it walks 8 cm in the opposite direction, for a total displacement of (7 + [-8]) or (-1) cm. This leaves the mouse on 4 cm, and then it walks from there to the 7cm location, for a displacement of 7-4 or +3 cm. Adding 3cm to -1cm gives a final displacement of +2cm.