Answer:
The distance traveled to return directly to the starting point = 34 miles.
Step-by-step explanation:
Given:
Distance covered in north = 16 miles
Distance covered in east = 30 miles
We have to find the displacement (the shortest distance).
Or
Distance traveled to return directly back to the starting point.
Let the origin be O and the distance covered in north be ON and distance covered from right to the east is NE.
Move rightward from N point to the right that is towards east direction.
N is a northern point and E is the eastern point.
ON = miles
NE = miles
We can imagine that it forms a right angled triangle making 90 (deg) at N by joining E with O ,where OE is the
hypotenuse.
Applying Pythagoras formula.
Where,
Hypotenuse =
The distance traveled in returning back to the starting point is equivalent to the measure of the hypotenuse.
So,
Hypotenuse =
=
=
= miles
So the distance traveled to return directly to the starting point = 34 miles.