Final answer:
The shortest distance Suzy is from her starting point after walking 15 meters due north and then 13 meters due west can be found using the Pythagorean theorem. The calculation gives us a shortest distance of approximately 19.9 meters when rounded to the tenths.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student's question involves finding the shortest distance from the starting point after walking in two different directions, which resembles the application of the Pythagorean theorem. Suzy walks 15 meters due north and then 13 meters due west. To find the shortest distance back to her starting point, we can model her walk as a right triangle, where the legs of the triangle are the distances walked north and west, and the hypotenuse is the shortest path back to her starting point.
Using the Pythagorean theorem, which states that in a right triangle, the square of the length of the hypotenuse (c) is equal to the sum of the squares of the lengths of the other two sides (a and b), the formula is:
c² = a² + b²
For Suzy’s walk:
c² = 15² + 13²
c² = 225 + 169
c² = 394
To find c, we take the square root of 394:
c = √394
c ≈ 19.9 (rounded to tenths)
Therefore, the shortest distance Suzy is from her starting point is approximately 19.9 meters.