Answer: 212 meters
Explanation:
To find how far Ricky is from his starting point, we can visualize this as a right triangle, where the southward and northward movements form the vertical legs, and the eastward movement forms the horizontal leg.
Let's calculate it step by step:
1. Ricky walks 232 meters due south.
2. He walks 180 meters due east.
3. Finally, he walks 344 meters due north.
Now, we can calculate the horizontal and vertical displacements:
Vertical displacement (north-south direction) = 344 meters (north) - 232 meters (south) = 112 meters north.
Horizontal displacement (east-west direction) = 180 meters (east).
Now, we can use the Pythagorean theorem to find the distance from his starting point (the hypotenuse of the right triangle):
Distance = √((Vertical displacement)^2 + (Horizontal displacement)^2)
Distance = √((112 meters)^2 + (180 meters)^2)
Distance = √(12544 + 32400)
Distance = √44944
Distance ≈ 212 meters
So, Ricky is approximately 212 meters from his starting point.