A hiker travels along a straight coastal trail that is designated as the x-axis, with x=0 located at a pier and the positive direction pointing east. The hiker starts at survey marker S0, which is 180m west of the pier. She then walks 250m east to investigate a tide pool, after which she walks 90m west to a lifeguard tower, where she stops for a rest.
(a) Using the coordinate system described, determine the hiker’s displacement from her initial position at S0 to the lifeguard tower. Show your reasoning clearly.
(b) The distance the hiker actually walked differs from her displacement. Describe in words the difference between distance traveled and displacement, making explicit reference to both magnitude and direction.
(c) The entire walk took 6.0min. Calculate the hiker’s average velocity during this interval, including the proper sign and units.
(d) Explain what the sign of your answer in part (c) indicates about the hiker’s motion relative to the chosen coordinate axis.