A student walks from her classroom to the library and then to the school canteen…
PHYSICS · Multi-part · CBSE · Physics · Motion in a Plane · Motion in a Plane
Problem
A student walks from her classroom to the library and then to the school canteen before returning to the classroom. The positions of these places relative to the classroom C are: Library L at (30m,0), Canteen N at (30m,40m), all coordinates in metres on the school ground where the classroom is chosen as the origin and the x– and y–axes are east and north respectively.
(a) Write the position vectors of points L and N with respect to the classroom C.
(b) List the three displacements corresponding to the path C→L, L→N, and N→C (returning directly in a straight line). Express each displacement in vector component form.
(c) Identify and state the numerical value of (i) the total distance walked and (ii) the magnitude of the net displacement for the entire trip.
(d) Explain, with reference to your answers in part (c), whether the entire walking trip can be described by a single scalar quantity or requires a vector quantity. Justify your choice briefly.