Final answer:
To find the distance the football traveled, use the Pythagorean theorem to calculate the hypotenuse of a right triangle formed by Ron, John, and Bill. The distance is 50 yards.
Step-by-step explanation:
To find the distance the football traveled, we need to use the Pythagorean theorem. Ron is standing 30 yards east of John, and Bill is standing 40 yards north of John. We can form a right triangle with Ron, John, and Bill as its vertices. The distance the football traveled is equal to the hypotenuse of this triangle. Using the Pythagorean theorem, we can calculate the distance:
a^2 + b^2 = c^2
where a = 30 yards and b = 40 yards.
Plugging in the values, we get:
30^2 + 40^2 = c^2
900 + 1600 = c^2
2500 = c^2
So, c = √(2500) = 50 yards.
Therefore, the ball traveled a distance of 50 yards.