The path between the two houses and the path the homing pigeon will fly form a triangle. (Shown in picture)
To solve this problem you are finding the hypotenuse of the triangle. This can be solved using the Pythagorean theorem: a^2 + b^2 = c^2
Start by identifying your variables:
a: 6 (miles north)
b: 8 (miles west)
c: miles of the homing pigeon’s path
After identifying your variables, substitute the values into your equation.
This results in:
6^2 + 8^2 = c^2
Next, square both of your a and b values by multiplying each value by temselves. 6 x 6 is 36 and 8 x 8 is 64
So...
This leaves you with:
36 + 64 = c^2
After that, add your values together to get one value on each side of the equal sign.
36 + 64 = 100
This leaves you with 100 = c^2
To find your final answer, square root both sides to isolate and solve for the c value.
The square root of 100 is 10.
So your final answer is 10 miles.
The homing pigeon will fly 10 miles between Joe and Raul’s houses.