Question

Jaxon is traveling from Portland, Oregon to Denver, CO. If he were traveling by car, he would drive 1000 miles east and 575 miles south. What distance, to the nearest tenth of a mile, would he travel if he took a direct flight from Portland to Denver?

1153.5 miles

1575 miles

425 miles

818.2 miles

Answer 1

1153.5 miles (first answer choice)

Explanation:

'1000 miles east' is the change in x ('the run'), and '575 miles south' is the change in x (the 'rise'). Since these two vectors form a right angle, we can immediately apply the Pythagorean Theorem without worrying about signs:

d = √(1000² + 575²) = 1153.5 miles (first answer choice)