Two postal delivery workers have different routes. They both travel from the post office, to neighborhoods to deliver mail, and then back to the post office. Which statement must be true about the two postal delivery workers?

Question

a. they have the same velocity
b. they travel the same distance
c. they each have a displacement of 0 miles
d. they each travel a distance of 0 miles

Answer 1

The statement that must be true about the two postal delivery workers is:

c. they each have a displacement of 0 miles

Displacement is defined as the change in position from the starting point to the ending point. Since both delivery workers start and end at the post office, their displacement is 0 miles, regardless of the distance they travel along their routes.

The other statements are not necessarily true:

• a: They may have different velocities since they could be traveling different distances in different directions and at different times.
• b: They do not necessarily travel the same distance; their routes could vary significantly.
• d: They do not travel a distance of 0 miles; they travel some distance while delivering mail.