Answer :
Final answer:
The statement that the displacement of the first person is greater than that of the second person is false. Displacement is a vector that can be represented by the hypotenuse of a right-angle triangle formed by the east and north movements, and since both individuals moved the same distance in each direction, their displacements would be equal.
Explanation:
The question being asked is whether the statement 'True or False: A person walks 2 blocks east and 5 blocks north. Another person walks five blocks north and then two blocks east. The displacement of the first person will be greater than the displacement of the second person.' is true or false.
Displacement is defined as the straight-line distance from the initial position to the final position of an object, irrespective of the path taken. Considering that both individuals have moved the same distance east and the same distance north, their displacement from their starting point would be the same, no matter the order of the movements.
Since displacement is a vector quantity and can be represented by the resultant of the east and north components, it would form the hypotenuse of a right-angle triangle where the eastward and northward movements are the other two sides. Therefore, the correct answer is false. The displacements of both individuals would be equal, not more so for either one.
