Question

oel biked 9 miles east and then 12 miles north. If he biked back to his starting point using the most direct route, how many miles would he ride all together?

Answer 1

Answer:

36 miles

Step-by-step explanation:

(Imagine a huge triangle on a perfectly open space-- not with streets or houses or cornfields.)

The dimensions of the two sides given are multiples of a classic Pythagorean Triple: 3, 4, 5.    $3^{2} + 4^{2} = 5^{2}$  

9 is 3x3, 12 is 3x4 so the remaining side would be 3x5  15

Add those 3 sides to get the total distance, 36 miles.