Question

question 7 of 10
a moving walkway has a speed of 0.4 m/s to the east. a stationary observer sees a man walking on the walkway with a velocity of 0.3 m/s to the east. what is the mans velocity relative to the moving walkway?
a. 0.1 m/s west
b. 0.4 m/s east
c. 0.3 m/s west
d. 0.1 m/s east

Explanation:

Step1: Define relative - velocity formula

Let $v_{mw}$ be the man's velocity relative to the walkway, $v_{mo}$ be the man's velocity relative to the observer, and $v_{wo}$ be the walkway's velocity relative to the observer. The formula for relative velocity is $v_{mo}=v_{mw}+v_{wo}$.

Step2: Rearrange the formula to solve for $v_{mw}$

We can rewrite the formula as $v_{mw}=v_{mo}-v_{wo}$.

Step3: Substitute the given values

Given $v_{mo} = 0.3\ m/s$ (east) and $v_{wo}=0.4\ m/s$ (east). Substituting these values into the formula: $v_{mw}=0.3 - 0.4=- 0.1\ m/s$. The negative sign indicates the direction is opposite to the direction of the walkway's motion, so it is west.

Answer:

A. 0.1 m/s west