alleryStart learning →A car travels with an average speed of 23 m/s for 82 s. Which displacement could NOT have been the car's over that time?
A1,500 m south
B1,600 m north
C1,700 m east
D2,000 m west
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: D. 2,000 m west
1. Average speed times time gives the total distance travelled: 23 m/s x 82 s = 1,886 m.
2. The magnitude of displacement can never exceed the total distance travelled.
3. 1,500 m, 1,600 m, and 1,700 m are all under 1,886 m, so a winding path could produce any of them.
4. 2,000 m exceeds 1,886 m, so it is not achievable and could not have been the displacement.
_Source: OpenStax Physics (CC BY 4.0), Ch 2 "Motion in One Dimension", section 2.2 Speed and Velocity_
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