You leave your home and walk 4.5 miles north to your friend’s house; from there you head east for 3.7 miles to a party at another friend’s house. After three hours there you leave the party and walk a swerving path north again for 1.5 miles to the house of the current person you are stalking. What is your total displacement, including the portion that your friend should have prevented you from making?

Question

You leave your home and walk 4.5 miles north to your friend’s house; from there you head east for 3.7 miles to a party at another friend’s house.  After three hours there you leave the party and walk a swerving path north again for 1.5 miles to the house of the current person you are stalking.  What is your total displacement, including the portion that your friend should have prevented you from making?

oobleck · Answer

I have no idea what the friend should have tried to prevent, but
(0,4.5) + (3.7,0) + (0,1.5) = (3.7,6.0)
so the displacement z is
z^2 = 3.7^2 + 6^2
z = 7.0

Maybe you can figure out what has been so vaguely explained.