To find the straight-line distance from point A to point C (which is the distance you would walk if you were to go through the pond), you can use the Pythagorean theorem.
In your scenario, you have:
- The southward leg (AB) = 34 m (the vertical leg of the right triangle)
- The eastward leg (BC) = 41 m (the horizontal leg of the right triangle)
According to the Pythagorean theorem, the distance \(AC\) (the hypotenuse) can be calculated as follows:
\[ AC = \sqrt{(AB^2 + BC^2)} \]
Substituting the values:
\[ AC = \sqrt{(34^2 + 41^2)} \] \[ = \sqrt{(1156 + 1681)} \] \[ = \sqrt{2837} \] \[ \approx 53.23 \text{ m} \]
Therefore, if you could walk through the pond, it would take approximately 53.23 meters to get from point A to point C directly.