A car travels 20 miles north, then turns and travels 5 miles south. What is true about the drive?

Question

The distance was 25 miles and the displacement was 15 miles north.

O The distance was 25 miles and the displacement was 25 miles north.

The distance was 15 miles and the displacement was 25 miles north.

The distance was 20 miles and the displacement was 5 miles north.

Answer 1

To analyze the drive:

1. Distance: This is the total path traveled by the car. The car first travels 20 miles north and then turns and travels 5 miles south.

   • Total distance = 20 miles (north) + 5 miles (south) = 25 miles.

2. Displacement: This is the straight-line distance from the starting point to the endpoint, taking direction into account. The car ends up:

   • Starting point: 0 miles (let's say it's the origin).
   • After traveling 20 miles north: 20 miles north.
   • After traveling 5 miles south: \(20 - 5 = 15\) miles north.
   • Therefore, the displacement is 15 miles north.

So, the correct statement is: "The distance was 25 miles and the displacement was 15 miles north."