Final answer:
Using the Pythagorean theorem, Sam and Julia are approximately 9.9 meters apart.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question asks to find the distance between Sam, who is in a hot air balloon 7 meters above ground, and Julia, who is on the ground 7 meters away from the launching point. We can solve this using the Pythagorean theorem, which is a mathematical formula used to find the length of a side in a right-angled triangle. The formula is √(a² + b²), where √ represents the square root, and a and b represent the lengths of the two shorter sides of the triangle.
Sam's height above the ground serves as one side of the right-angled triangle (a = 7 meters), while the distance Julia is standing from the launching point serves as the other side (b = 7 meters). Applying these values to the Pythagorean theorem, we get:√(7² + 7²) = √(49 + 49) = √(98) ≈ 9.9 meters.
Thus, Sam and Julia are approximately 9.9 meters apart.