Answer:
C. 16 mi.
Explanation:
This situation forms a right triangle: the distances 32 miles south and 24 miles east are the legs, and the original southeast course is the hypotenuse.
Use the pythagorean theorem, a² + b² = c² to solve for c, the length of the southeast course.
a² + b² = c²
32² + 24² = c²
1600 = c²
40 = c
So, the southeast course is 40 miles long.
Find how many miles the pilot traveled on the alternate route:
32 + 24
= 56
Find the difference in extra miles:
56 - 40
= 16
So, the pilot was forced to fly 16 extra miles.
The correct answer is C. 16 mi.