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Tiana jogs 1.5 km along a straight path, turns and jogs 2.4 km back the opposite way, then turns again and jogs 0.7 km in her original direction. Taking her original direction as positive, what are her displacement and total distance?
ADisplacement -4.6 km, distance 0.2 km
BDisplacement 0.2 km, distance 4.6 km
CDisplacement 4.6 km, distance -0.2 km
DDisplacement -0.2 km, distance 4.6 km
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: D. Displacement -0.2 km, distance 4.6 km
1. Assign the original direction as positive: legs are +1.5 km, -2.4 km, +0.7 km.
2. Displacement = 1.5 - 2.4 + 0.7 = -0.2 km.
3. Distance adds magnitudes only: 1.5 + 2.4 + 0.7 = 4.6 km.
4. A negative displacement never pairs with a distance number listed as negative, which rules out the third and fourth options.
_Source: OpenStax Physics (CC BY 4.0), Ch 2 "Motion in One Dimension", section 2.1 Relative Motion, Distance, and Displacement_
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