A traveler went 10 miles south, 7 miles east, 2 miles south, and 2 miles west. How many miles is the traveler from the start?

Answer 1

He's 12 miles south of the start and 5 miles east of the start.

This makes a right angle triangle. You can find the closest distance by finding the hypotenuse of this triangle by using the Pythagorean Theorem.

12^2 + 5^2 = h^2

144 + 25 = h^2

169 = h^2

13 = h

Answer 2

Thanks Ms.Sue.... you're awesome!

Answer 3

You're welcome -- whoever you are.

But please keep the same name for your posts.