The Rock's Displacement Calculation

Understanding Displacement

Displacement is defined as the distance and direction from the start-point to the end-point, regardless of the route followed on the way. In the case of a rock being thrown off a balcony, we can calculate its displacement based on the initial and final positions.

Scenario: Rock Thrown Off a Balcony

A rock is thrown straight upward off the edge of a balcony that is 5 meters above the ground. The rock rises 10 meters, then falls all the way down to the ground below the balcony.

Calculating Displacement

From the throw to the 'plop' on the ground, the rock's displacement is 5 meters down. This means that the rock's displacement is the vertical distance from the starting point on the balcony to the ending point on the ground.

Final Answer

The rock's displacement is 5 meters.

Explanation

The rock's displacement can be calculated by taking into account the initial height of the balcony (5 meters) and the maximum height reached by the rock (10 meters). Since the rock was thrown straight upward, its initial velocity is positive and its final velocity is zero at the maximum height.

The displacement is given by the difference between the final and initial positions, which in this case would be 10 meters (the maximum height) minus 5 meters (the height of the balcony), resulting in a displacement of 5 meters.

A rock is thrown straight upward off the edge of a balcony that is 5 m above the ground. The rock rises 10 m, then falls all the way down to the ground below the balcony. What is the rock's displacement?

Displacement = distance and direction from the start-point to the end-point, regardless of the route followed on the way. From the throw to the 'plop', the displacement is 5 meters down. The rock's displacement is 5 meters.