Question

Mary walks east from her house 5 miles then north 17 miles to meet her friend at the park. If she had traveled in a straight line from her home to the park, approximately how many miles would she have walked?

Answer 1

Mary would have walked 17.72 miles, If she had traveled in a straight line from her home to the park

Solution:

The figure is attached below

Let "A" be the starting point

Let "C" be the park

Mary walks east from her house 5 miles

Therefore,

AB = 5 miles

Then north 17 miles to meet her friend at the park

Therefore,

BC = 17 miles

She had traveled in a straight line from her home to the park

We have to find AC

For a right angled triangle, by pythagoras theorem,

$AC^2 = AB^2 + BC^2\\\\AC^2 = 5^2 + 17^2\\\\AC^2 = 25 + 289\\\\AC^2 = 314\\\\Taking\ square\ root\ on\ both\ sides\\\\AC = 17.72$

Thus she would have walked 17.72 miles, If she had traveled in a straight line from her home to the park