1. While following the directions on a treasure map, a pirate walks 45.0 m north, then turns and walks 7.5 m east. What single straight-line displacement could the pirate have taken to reach the treasure?

Question

2. A hummingbird flies 1.2 m along a straight path at a height of 3.4 m above the ground. Upon spotting a flower below, the hummingbird drops directly downward 1.4 m to hover in front of the flower. What is the hummingbird's total displacement?

On both of these, the paths are right triangles. Use

distance^2=leg1^2 + leg2^2

Answer 1

1. d = (7.5^2 + 45.0^2)^0.5, so d = 45.6207189772 m = 46 m

2. d = (1.2^2 + (-1.4)^2)^0.5, so d = 1.84390889146 m = 1.8