Consider the diagram showing the path that Joel biked.

Question

Joel bikes 9 blocks East and 12 blocks North. If he biked back to his starting point using the most direct route, how many blocks would he ride all together?



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(1 point)

Answer 1

To calculate the total number of blocks Joel biked, we can break it down into two parts: the distance he initially biked and the distance he biked to return to his starting point.

1. Joel biked 9 blocks East and 12 blocks North. Therefore, the distance he biked in the initial leg of his journey is: \[ 9 \text{ blocks East} + 12 \text{ blocks North} = 21 \text{ blocks} \]

2. To return to his starting point using the most direct route, he would need to travel back the same distance he biked out. Therefore, the return trip would also be: \[ 9 \text{ blocks West} + 12 \text{ blocks South} = 21 \text{ blocks} \]

3. Now, we add the initial distance and the return distance together: \[ 21 \text{ blocks} + 21 \text{ blocks} = 42 \text{ blocks} \]

Thus, the total number of blocks that Joel rode altogether is: \[ \boxed{42} \]