A walker walks 30 m from the origin toward the EAST to point A. She then walks from point A 20 m more toward the WEST to point B. The walker's total displacement from the origin is
A) 50 m toward the EAST.
B) 30 m toward the WEST.
C) 20 m toward the WEST.
D) 10 m toward the EAST.
E) 10 m toward the WEST.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Displacement is the shortest distance from the initial to the final position of a point. Thus, since the walker first goes 30 m East and then 20 m West, the total displacement is 10 m toward the East.

A Walker Walks 30 M from the Origin Toward the EAST