You walk with a velocity of 2 m/s north. You see a man approaching you, and from your frame of reference he has a speed of 3 m/s to the south. What is the velocity of the man from the frame of reference of a stationary observer?

Question

Vocaloid · Answer

they're in opposite directions, so man's velocity + your velocity

zarkam21 · Answer

5

Vocaloid · Answer

good

the man in the problem is going south so 5 m/s south

sillybilly123 · Answer

you sure?!

Vocaloid · Answer

Rip I'm terrible at physics

;; any hints as to what I did wrong?

zarkam21 · Answer

Terrible?? You seem nothing but good to me =))) @Vocaloid

sillybilly123 · Answer

if the guy was stationary **wrt** the earth, you would see him approach you at 2 m/s

Because, even though he is stationary wrt the earth, your ref frame is moving North at 2 m/s wrt the earth, so you are approaching him, and he is approaching you, at 2 m/s

If he is approaching you [ie your ref frame] at 3 m/s, he must be moving South at 1 m/s