Question

Two cars start from the same place driving at the same rate, one heading north and the other heading east. After two hours the car heading north has traveled 150 miles and the car heading east has traveled 100 miles. How far apart are the cars at this time?

Answer 1

they are 250 miles apart

|150|+|-100|=250

Answer 2

180.2776 miles

Explanation:

Given that two cars start from the same place.

One car is heading towards north and another east.

that means the two cars travel path make 90 degrees at the origin.

Imagine the triangle with one vertex at the starting place right angled at 90 and other two vertices are the locations of the two cars.

We find this triangle has legs of 150 miles and 100 miles respectively.

The distance between the two cars = length of the hypotenuse of the right triangle with legs 150 and 100 miles

= √(150^2)+100^2 (Using Pythagorean theorem)

= √32500

= 180.2776 miles