Question

1. takashi trains for a race by rowing his canoe on a lake. he starts by rowing along a straight path. then he turns and rows 260m west. if he then finds he is located 360m exactly north of his starting - point, what are the magnitude and direction of his displacement along the first straight path?

Explanation:

Step1: Recognize right - triangle

The displacements form a right - triangle. The westward displacement is one side ($a = 260$m) and the north - south displacement from the start to the end is the other side ($b = 360$m). Let the displacement along the first straight path be $d$.

Step2: Apply Pythagorean theorem

According to the Pythagorean theorem $d=\sqrt{260^{2}+360^{2}}$. First, calculate $260^{2}=260\times260 = 67600$ and $360^{2}=360\times360=129600$. Then $260^{2}+360^{2}=67600 + 129600=197200$. So $d=\sqrt{197200}\approx444$m.

Answer:

444 m