if you drive 9

Question

miles​ south, then make a left turn and drive 12

miles​ east, how far are​ you, in a straight​ line, from your starting​ point? Use the Pythagorean Theorem to solve the problem. Use a calculator to find square​ roots, rounding to the nearest tenth as needed.

Answer 1

Using the Pythagorean Theorem, we can find the distance in a straight line from the starting point:

c² = a² + b²

where a = 9 miles (the distance traveled south) and b = 12 miles (the distance traveled east).

c² = 9² + 12²
c² = 81 + 144
c² = 225
c = √225
c = 15

So the distance in a straight line from the starting point is 15 miles.