You start driving north for 21 miles, turn right, and drive east for another 20 miles. At the end of driving, what is your straight line distance from your starting point?

Question

asked Apr 18, 2021 73.1k views

2 Answers

Divins Mathew · Answer 1 · 2021-04-22T12:30:08+0000

Answer:

The straight line distance from your starting point to your end point is 29 miles.

Explanation:

Connecting your starting point and your end point will create a triangle

Use Pythagorean Theorem to find the missing length

20² + 21² = x² Simplify the left side of the equation

400 + 441 = x² Combine like terms

841 = x² Take the square root of both sides

29 = x