Answer:
The distance between two ships to the nearest tenth place is, 24.1 km
Step-by-step explanation:
Using Pythagoras theorem:

As per the statement:
Two ships are near a buoy in the open ocean. One ship is 20 km due north of the buoy, and the other ship is 13.5 km due east of the buoy.
You can see the diagram for this problem as shown below.
Let x be the distance between the two ships.
Hypotenuse side = x km
Adjacent side = 13.5 km
Perpendicular side = 20 km
Apply the Pythagoras theorem:

⇒
Simplify:
km
Therefore, the distance between two ships to the nearest tenth place is, 24.1 km