Physics: Vectors Worksheet
Answer the following questions on lined paper. Vector diagrams MUST be included for all questions. Show
your work. Use your ruler and protractor!!
1. Joe travels 50 km [W] and then 100 km [N30E].
a) What distance does Joe travel?
b) What is Joe’s total displacement?
2. Gary and Elaine are competing as a team in an orienteering event. They follow instructions telling them
to go 50 m [N], 75 m [NE], and 100 m [E30S]. What is their displacement?
3. A bird flies 2 km [E], then 4 km [N35E], then 5 km [W], and finally 6 km [SE].
a) What is the displacement of the bird?
b) What is the distance the bird flies?
4. Raj and Bernie enter into a car-rally competition. Determine their resultant displacement after
completing four segments of the competition if they travel 4.0 km [SE], 3.5 km [E], 5.0 km [N], 4.5 km
[NW].
5. Lorraine steered her boat out of the harbour, heading east. She travelled 500 m to one buoy and then
turned north and headed 300 m to another buoy. Jeff also left the harbour from the same point, and
travelled 300 m [N] to a buoy, and then went 500 m [E].
a) What is the position of Jeff’s boat relative to Lorraine’s boat after they finish moving?
b) If Lorraine and Jeff race straight back, in what direction are they headed?
6. A subway travels 20 km [S], then 8 km [W], and then 20 km [N] to make a complete trip.
a) What distance did the subway travel?
b) What is its displacement?
7. An airplane flies 630 km [S30E] and 420 km [N70E].
a) What distance did it travel?
b) What is the displacement for the plane to get back home?
8. Mim rode her horse 1.7 km [W25S] and then 1.1 km [N15W]. What is her displacement?
9. A confused pigeon flies 800 m [N37E], then 300 m [W], then 400 m [S53E], all at a constant speed of
15.0 m/s.
A hungry hawk flies in a straight line (as the crow flies) between the same two points. At what speed
must he fly to have a flight time equal to that of the pigeon?
10. A man walks 600 m [E47N], then 500 m [N38W], then 300 m [W29S], and finally 400 m [S13E].
He does the trip in 45 minutes.
a) What is distance does he walk?
b) What is his average speed?
c) What is his total displacement?