Vectors/Relative Velocity Whitehead
1. During the filming of a motion picture, a Hollywood stuntman is driving a motorcycle on top of a
train, jumping from car to car while the train is moving. A helicopter with a movie camera is
flying nearby in order to film the action. The helicopter is flying west at 33.2 m/s relative to the
ground. The train is moving east at 10.6 m/s. If the motorcycle is moving east at 11.7m/s relative
to the train, what is the velocity of the helicopter relative to the motorcycle in meters per second?
Round your answer to the nearest hundredth, if necessary.
2. George is walking east on a creek bank in the opposite direction of the current, which is flowing
at 4.4 m/s. What velocity relative to the ground must George walk in order to stay even with
Selena who is in a motorboat traveling upstream at a speed of 9.3 m/s relative to the water?
3. Albert walks 3 meters north and 10 meters east. What is his distance?
4. Vanessa walks 3 meters north and 10 meters east. What is her displacement?
5. Rogelio needs to swim across a river. The river is flowing east at 3 m/s. Rogelio swims at 2 m/s
directly north. What is the direction of his journey across the river?
6. Rogelio needs to swim across a river. The river is flowing east at 3 m/s. Rogelio swims at 2 m/s
directly north. What is Rogelio’s total velocity?
7. Identify a vector quantity
a. 72 meters
b. 35mph
c. 12 m/s east
d. 17
8. A scalar quantity indicates…
a. Direction
b. Magnitude and direction
c. Magnitude
9. Mary walks 10 meters south, then 4 meters east.
a. Calculate Mary’s distance
b. Calculate Mary’s displacement.
c. What is the direction of Mary’s displacement?
10. Which pair of vectors may be added together?
a. Ron walks 2 meters south then 3 meters east
b. Abby walks 2 meters north, the 2 meters northeast
c. Sarah walks 2 meters north, turns around and walks 3 meters south
d. Lindsay walks in a circle