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  • Displacement Magnitude and Direction: A Step-by-Step Guide
    Here's how to solve this problem:

    1. Visualize the Problem

    Imagine a coordinate plane. The duck's movement can be represented as two sides of a right triangle:

    * East (x-axis): 2.5 meters

    * North (y-axis): 6.0 meters

    2. Find the Hypotenuse

    The displacement is the hypotenuse of this right triangle. We can use the Pythagorean theorem to find it:

    * a² + b² = c²

    * (2.5 m)² + (6.0 m)² = c²

    * 6.25 m² + 36 m² = c²

    * 42.25 m² = c²

    * c = √42.25 m²

    * c ≈ 6.5 m

    3. Determine the Direction

    We'll use the arctangent function (tan⁻¹) to find the angle (θ) of the displacement with respect to the horizontal (east):

    * tan θ = (opposite side) / (adjacent side)

    * tan θ = 6.0 m / 2.5 m

    * θ = tan⁻¹ (6.0/2.5)

    * θ ≈ 67.4°

    Answer

    The magnitude of the duck's displacement is approximately 6.5 meters, and the direction is approximately 67.4° north of east.

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