Question

The minute hand of Big Ben is 14 feet long and the hour hand is 9 feet long. What is the distance between the tips of the hands when it is 3:00?

Answer 1

When it is 3:00 the minute hand and the hour hand would form a 90 degree angle making a right triangle. If you use the Pythagorean theorem you can find the distance between the tips of the hands.
14^2+9^2=x^2
196+81=x^2
277=x^2
X=16.64ft when rounded