Question

You start driving south for 2 miles, turn left, and drive east for another 9 miles. At the end of driving, what is your straight line distance from your starting point? Round to the nearest tenth of a mile.

Answer 1

To find the straight line distance from your starting point after driving south for 2 miles and then east for 9 miles, we can use the Pythagorean theorem.

You end up at a point that is 2 miles south and 9 miles east of your starting point. This forms a right triangle where:
- One leg (south) = 2 miles
- The other leg (east) = 9 miles

We can denote the distance from the starting point to the end point as \(d\). According to the Pythagorean theorem:

\[
d^2 = (2 \text{ miles})^2 + (9 \text{ miles})^2
\]

Calculating the squares:

\[
d^2 = 4 + 81
\]
\[
d^2 = 85
\]

Now, we'll take the square root to find \(d\):

\[
d = \sqrt{85} \approx 9.2195
\]

Rounded to the nearest tenth of a mile, \(d\) is approximately 9.2 miles.

Thus, the straight line distance from your starting point is **9.2 miles**.