A man walks 10 m north, then 8 m east, then 4 m south. How far is he from his starting point (in m)?
Answer and explanation
Correct answer: D. 10
- Step 1: Calculate the net displacements along orthogonal axes: net vertical displacement is , and horizontal displacement is .
- Step 2: Apply the Pythagorean theorem to find the straight-line displacement: .
- Step 3: Evaluate the square root: .
Answer
10.
Why not the others: The alternative displacement options (6, 12, 18) result from confusing clockwise and counter-clockwise turns or adding orthogonal distances linearly.
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