Question

Jimmy ran 20 meters west from home and then turned north to jog 25 meters. Jimmy ran 45 meters, but could have arrived at the same point by jogging in a straight line. (3 points)

Drawing a straight line from the starting point to the ending point would create a _________ triangle.
You can use the _______ to find the direct straight line distance for Jimmy.

If Jimmy took the direct line, he would have traveled approximately _________ meters.

Answer 1

To analyze Jimmy's movement, let's visualize his path. He ran 20 meters west from home and then 25 meters north. This creates a right triangle where:

- One leg is 20 meters (the distance he ran west).
- The other leg is 25 meters (the distance he ran north).

1. **Drawing a straight line from the starting point to the ending point would create a** **right triangle**.

2. **You can use the** **Pythagorean theorem** **to find the direct straight line distance for Jimmy**.

3. To find the direct distance (hypotenuse) using the Pythagorean theorem:
\[
c = \sqrt{a^2 + b^2}
\]
where \(a = 20\) meters and \(b = 25\) meters.
\[
c = \sqrt{(20)^2 + (25)^2} = \sqrt{400 + 625} = \sqrt{1025} \approx 32.02 \text{ meters}.
\]

So, if Jimmy took the direct line, he would have traveled approximately **32.02 meters**.