Three contestants are brought to the center of a large, flat field. Each is given a meter stick, a compass, a calculator, a shovel, and (in different order for each contestant) the following three displacement:
(a)72.4m, 32.0oeast of north
(b)57.3m, 36.0o south of west
(c)17.8m, straight southThe three displacements lead to the point where the keys to a new car are buried. Two players start measuring immediately, but the winner first calculates where to go. What does she calculate?

Question

Three contestants are brought to the center of a large, flat field. Each is given a meter stick, a compass, a calculator, a shovel, and (in different order for each contestant) the following three displacement:
(a)72.4m, 32.0oeast of north
(b)57.3m, 36.0o south of west
(c)17.8m, straight southThe three displacements lead to the point where the keys to a new car are buried. Two players start measuring immediately, but the winner first calculates where to go. What does she calculate?

anonymous · Answer

She calculates the vector sum of the three displacements, and uses that to decide where to go.