Distance & Position Assignment

1. A car and a hot-air balloon intend to ascend a mountain for a race. The car races up the
mountain, taking switchbacks back and forth across the mountain till finally reaching the top.
The hot air balloon simply ascends to the top using the less dense hot air. Which vehicle has
the greatest distance traveled? The greater displacement? Explain your answers below.
The car easily has the greatest distance traveled because the hot air balloon takes the most
straightforward path and floats to the top of the mountain. On the other hand, the car must contend with
the geography of the mountain. Assuming they started at the same position, both the hot air balloon and
the car would have the same displacement, because they presumably end in the same location.

2. What is the displacement and distance of a student who walks 30 m to the right and then 17 m
to the left? Assume that the student moving to the right is positive.

Displacement models the most direct path to an end location. Therefore, the students displacement would be
13. (30-17=13)

3. A car drives east for 10 km and then drives north for 25 km. What is the distance traveled by
the car? What is the car's displacement?
√(10)^2+(25)^2 = 26.926km
The car’s distance traveled would be 35km
25 Km
and its displacement would be 26.926km.

10km
4. A mountain climbing expedition establishes a base camp and two intermediate camps, A and
B. Camp A is 12,300 m east of and 3,800 m above base camp. Camp B is 8,800 m east of and
1,600 m higher than Camp A. Determine the displacement between base camp and Camp B.
21780.037m displacement 1600m
between base camp and
camp B. 8800m
3800m
12300m
5. A race car is traveling around a circular track that has a circumference of 800 meter (1/2 mile).
If the car completes 10.75 laps, what is the cars distance traveled? What is the car's
displacement?
Distance: 800m(10.75 laps) = 8600m
Displacement: 0m