A hiker walks in three straight-line legs as follows: • due east • due north • making…
PHYSICS · Multi-part · CBSE · Physics · Motion in a Plane · Motion in a Plane
Problem
A hiker walks in three straight-line legs as follows:
• 5km due east
• 3km due north
• 4km making an angle 30∘ south of west
(i) Choose a convenient scale and draw the three successive displacements to scale, placing each new displacement at the head of the previous one. Measure the magnitude and direction (with respect to due east) of the net displacement from the starting point.
(ii) Resolve each displacement into rectangular components and calculate analytically the magnitude and direction of the net displacement.
(iii) Determine the percentage difference between the graphical and analytical magnitudes obtained in parts (i) and (ii). Comment on the possible sources of this difference.