Final answer:
Seth would walk about 3.6 miles to return directly to his starting point. This is determined using the Pythagorean theorem, as the path he took forms a right triangle.
Step-by-step explanation:
To determine how far Seth would walk if he traveled directly back to his starting point after biking 3 miles south and 2 miles west, we need to use the Pythagorean theorem to find the direct distance from the endpoint back to the starting point. Since his path creates a right triangle with legs of 3 miles (south) and 2 miles (west), the hypotenuse of this triangle is the direct distance back to the starting point.
We calculate this using the formula:
C2 = A2 + B2
where C is the hypotenuse, A is the distance traveled south, and B is the distance traveled west.
Using Seth's distances: C2 = 32 + 22
= 9 + 4
= 13
The hypotenuse C (the direct distance back to the start) is the square root of 13 miles. Calculating this gives us approximately C = 3.6 miles.
Therefore, Seth would walk about 3.6 miles to get back to his starting point.