Question

A

16mi
B
5.9mi
RESTRICTED
9mi
C
A plane is forced to travel the two-legged path shown below to avoid flying over a
restricted area. Point B is 5.9 miles from the straight path that could be taken, if it
were possible to fly through the restricted area. How much shorter is the direct
route through the restricted area than the two-legged alternate path.
miles Round answer to nearest tenth of a mile.

Answer 1

The straight-line distance through the restricted area is approximately 10.8 miles shorter than the two-legged path.

Step-by-step explanation:

The straight-line distance between two points can be found using the Pythagorean theorem.

In this case, the two legs of the path form a right triangle. The length of one leg is 9 miles and the length of the other leg is 5.9 miles.

Using the Pythagorean theorem, the straight-line distance can be found as follows:

D = sqrt(9^2 + 5.9^2)

D = sqrt(81 + 34.81)

D = sqrt(115.81)

D ≈ 10.8 miles

Therefore, the straight-line distance through the restricted area is approximately 10.8 miles shorter than the two-legged path.