Question

One of Madison's hobbies is to locate hidden geocaches. If Madison walks 15 yards due west and 8 yards due south, how far was it from the water fountain where she started?

A. 23 yards
B. 17 yards
C. 7 yards
D. 12 yards

Answer 1

To find the distance from the water fountain where Madison started, we can use the Pythagorean theorem. The distance from the water fountain to the final location is 17 yards.

Step-by-step explanation:

To find the distance from the water fountain where Madison started, we can use the Pythagorean theorem. Let's label the starting point as point A, the point located 15 yards due west as point B, and the point located 8 yards due south as point C. The distance from point A to point C is the hypotenuse of a right triangle with sides AB and BC. Using the Pythagorean theorem, we can calculate the distance as follows:

AC = √(AB^2 + BC^2)

AC = √((15)^2 + (8)^2)

AC = √(225 + 64)

AC = √289

AC = 17 yards