Question

An ant first travels from P to R which is 13 m long and then it walks to point Q which is 12 m, on a right angled triangle PQR. The displacement of the ant is

• A. 5
• B. 25
• C. 15
• D. 20

Answer 1

The correct option is A 5

Given, distance PR = 13 m and RQ = 12 m.
$\therefore$Total distance travelled = PR + RQ = 13 + 12 = 25 m.
Initial position is P and final position is Q.
We know that the shortest distance between initial and final position is the displacement.
$\therefore$Total displacement = PQ = $\sqrt{{13}^2-{12}^2}$ = 5 m (using Pythagoras theorem)
$\therefore$The distance covered by the ant is 25 m and the displacement is 5 m.