Typical backyard ants often create a network of chemical trails for guidance. Extending outward from the nest, a trail branches
Typical backyard ants often create a network of
chemical trails for guidance. Extending outward from the nest, a
trail branches (bifurcates) repeatedly, with 60° between the
branches. If a roaming ant chances upon a trail, it can tell the way
to the nest at any branch point: If it is moving away from the nest, it
has two choices of path requiring a small turn in its travel direction,
either 30° leftward or 30° rightward. If it is moving toward the
nest, it has only one such choice. Figure 3-29 shows a typical ant
trail, with lettered straight sections of 2.0 cm length and symmetric
bifurcation of 60°. Path v is parallel to the y axis.What are the (a)
magnitude and (b) angle (relative to the positive direction of the
superimposed x axis) of an ant’s displacement from the nest (find it
in the figure) if the ant enters the trail at point A? What are the (c)
magnitude and (d) angle if it enters at point B?