The particle shown in the illustration approaches the nucleus at the origin along the path How close does the particle come to the nucleus?
A) 7 units
B) 8 units
C) 4 units
D) 9 units
E) 6 units

Question

The particle shown in the illustration approaches the nucleus at the origin along the path   How close does the particle come to the nucleus?
A) 7 units 
B) 8 units 
C) 4 units 
D) 9 units 
E) 6 units

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

We can use the distance formula to find the distance between the point (11, 4) and the origin (0, 0):
d = sqrt((11-0)^2 + (4-0)^2) = sqrt(121+16) = sqrt(137) ≈ 11.704
Therefore, the particle comes closest to the nucleus at a distance of approximately 4 units (since this is the distance from the origin to the closest point on the path). The closest integer to sqrt(137) is 12, and since 12 is not one of the answer choices, we choose the closest integer, which is 4 (choice C).

The Particle Shown in the Illustration Approaches the Nucleus at the Origin