Chapter 3, Problem 5Q

During baseball practice, a player hits a very high fly ball and then runs in a straight line and catches it. Which had the greater displacement, the player or the ball? Explain.

To determine

Which had the greater displacement: the player or the ball.

Answer to Problem 5Q

Solution:

They have the same displacement.

Explanation of Solution

The displacement is the length of the straight line between the initial and final position of an object. The ball trajectory is a parabolic shot while the player’s trajectory is a straight line. The ball path length is longer than the player’s, but their displacements are the same because they share the final and initial position.