A shortstop is standing in the base path between second and

Question

third base when she fields the ball. She is 30 feet from second
base and needs to make the throw to first base. Assuming the
field is square, she needs to throw the ball approximately
ft.

Answer 1

To determine the distance the shortstop needs to throw the ball to first base, we can visualize the baseball diamond as a square. The bases form the corners of the diamond.

1. The bases are typically 90 feet apart.
2. The shortstop is standing 30 feet from second base, which means she is 60 feet (90 feet - 30 feet) from third base.
3. We can use the Pythagorean theorem to find the distance from her position to first base.

The scenario will form a right triangle where:

• One leg is the distance from the shortstop to second base (30 ft),
• The other leg is the distance from second base to first base (90 ft).

Using the Pythagorean theorem: \[ d = \sqrt{(30^2) + (90^2)} \] Calculating this, we get: \[ d = \sqrt{900 + 8100} = \sqrt{9000} \approx 94.87 \text{ feet} \]

Therefore, the shortstop needs to throw the ball approximately 94.87 feet to reach first base.