Final answer:
The distance he would have walked if he cut across the diagonal is approximately 17.2 blocks.
Step-by-step explanation:
To find the straight-line distance, we can use the Pythagorean theorem. The 14 blocks south and 10 blocks west form the legs of a right triangle, with the diagonal being the hypotenuse. The straight-line distance can be found using the formula D = sqrt(a^2 + b^2), where a and b are the lengths of the legs.
Using the formula, D = sqrt(14^2 + 10^2) = sqrt(196 + 100) = sqrt(296) = 17.2
Therefore, the distance he would have walked if he cut across the diagonal is approximately 17.2 blocks.