SOLUTION: An explorer hikes 4 miles due east, 7 miles due south, then 3 miles due east, then 1 mile due north, and finally 2 miles due west. How far is he from his original position? (This i

Question 798196: An explorer hikes 4 miles due east, 7 miles due south, then 3 miles due east, then 1 mile due north, and finally 2 miles due west. How far is he from his original position? (This is a pythagorean theorem problem)
Answer by KMST(5328) (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!
Here's a map showing the explorer's path.
Each square in the grid is 1 mile by 1 mile.
The explorer goes along the red arrow path from point A to point B.
The distance (as the crow flies) from A to B is the hypotenuse (AB) of the green right triangle ABC.

and so --> is about 7.8 miles.

NOTE:
Without drawing the map, we could calculate total distance to the East as the sum of the eastward stretches of the path:
.
Similarly, we could calculate total distance to the South as the sum of the southward stretches of the path:
.

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