Final answer:
To find the distance from Terry's to Jerry's house, we first calculate Terry's distance from the school, which is 2.3 miles north of the school, and then add Jerry's distance, which is 2.5 miles south of the school, resulting in a total distance of 4.8 miles between Terry's and Jerry's houses.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student's question is about calculating the distance between two houses, given their respective distances from a school. To find the distance from Terry's house to Jerry's house, we should add together the distance from Terry's house to the school with the distance from the school to Jerry's house, considering the direction they live in relation to the school.
Perry lives 3.7 miles north of the school, and Terry lives 1.4 miles south of Perry. Since north and south are opposite directions, we subtract Terry's distance from Perry's distance: 3.7 miles - 1.4 miles = 2.3 miles. This means Terry lives 2.3 miles north of the school. Jerry lives 2.5 miles south of the school. To find the distance between Terry and Jerry, we add their distances from the school: 2.3 miles + 2.5 miles = 4.8 miles. So, Terry's house is 4.8 miles away from Jerry's house.