Answer:
0.73 m/s in the forward direction
Explanation:
The caterpillar's velocity relative to the ground is given by:
[tex]v' = v_w + v[/tex]
where
[tex]v_w[/tex] is the velocity of the wagon with respect to the ground
v is the velocity of the caterpillar in the wagon's reference frame
In this situation we have
[tex]v_w = +0.75 m/s[/tex]
[tex]v=-2.0 cm/s = -0.02 m/s[/tex] where the negative sign is due to the fact that the caterpillar is moving backward
Substituting,
[tex]v'=+0.75-0.02=+0.73 m/s[/tex]