A student runs from the ground floor to the fourth floor of a school building to collect a book and then comes down to their classroom on the second floor. If the height of each floor is 3 m, find:

(A) the total vertical distance travelled, and,

(B) their displacement from the starting point.

(A) Given that the height of each floor = 3 m

The student moves from the ground floor to the fourth floor.

Vertical distance travelled upward,

$$4 \times 3 = 12 \text{ m}$$

Then the student comes down from the fourth floor to the second floor.

Vertical distance travelled downward,

$$(4 - 2) \times 3 = 6 \text{ m}$$

Therefore,

Total vertical distance travelled = 12 + 6

= 18 m

(B) Displacement is the shortest distance between the initial and final positions.

The student starts from the ground floor and ends on the second floor.

Displacement = 2 × 3 = 6 m upward

Therefore, the displacement from the starting point is 6 m upward.