To determine how much shorter Sylvia's walk is through the park compared to walking straight down Johnson Avenue and then down 41st Street, we can calculate both distances.
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Distance walking straight down Johnson Avenue and 41st Street:
- The distance along Johnson Avenue: 80 yards
- The distance along 41st Street: 60 yards
- Total distance walking straight: \[ 80 + 60 = 140 \text{ yards} \]
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Distance walking through the park (the hypotenuse):
- The right triangle is formed by:
- Johnson Avenue to 42nd Street (base): 80 yards
- 41st Street to Edison Avenue (height): 60 yards
- The distance (hypotenuse, denoted as "park") can be found using the Pythagorean theorem: \[ d = \sqrt{(80^2) + (60^2)} = \sqrt{6400 + 3600} = \sqrt{10000} = 100 \text{ yards} \]
- The right triangle is formed by:
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Difference in distances:
- The difference in walking distances between the two routes: \[ 140 - 100 = 40 \text{ yards} \]
Thus, if Sylvia walks through the park instead of straight down Johnson Avenue and straight down 41st Street, it will be 40 yards shorter.