Question

While walking on a plane surface, a traveler first headed 19 miles north, then 16 miles west, then 3 miles south and finally 4 miles east. How many miles from the starting point was the traveler after these four legs of the journey?

Answer 1

Answer: 20 Miles

Step-by-step explanation:

19 miles north and then 3 miles south is just 16 miles north.

16 miles west and then 4 miles east is just 12 miles west.

√16^2+12^2 = √256 + 144

√256+144 = √400

√400 = 20

The traveler is 20 miles from the original starting point.

(I honestly don't know why you'd use this formula, but it's what I was taught.)