Question

Suppose you leave your house and travel 13 mi due west. Then you travel 3 mi due south. How far, in miles, are you from your house as the crow flies (a straight line)? Round your answer to the nearest tenth if necessary.

Answer 1

Answer:
`13.34\ \text{miles}`

Explanation:

Given

First the person travels 13 mi west and then 3 mi due to south

The distance traveled by crow is represented by line BO

using Pythagoras theorem, we can write

`\Rightarrow AO^2+AB^2=BO^2\\\Rightarrow BO^2=13^2+3^2\\\Rightarrow BO^2=178\\\Rightarrow BO=√(178)\\\Rightarrow BO=13.34\ \text{miles}`