SOLUTION: An empty rectangular lot is 500 feet by 200 feet. How many feet do you save if you walk diagnally across the lot instead of walking its length and width? Express your answer as a d

Question 447709: An empty rectangular lot is 500 feet by 200 feet. How many feet do you save if you walk diagnally across the lot instead of walking its length and width? Express your answer as a decimal founded to the nearest tenth.
Found 2 solutions by stanbon, solver91311:
Answer by stanbon(75887) (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!
An empty rectangular lot is 500 feet by 200 feet. How many feet do you save if you walk diagnally across the lot instead of walking its length and width? Express your answer as a decimal founded to the nearest tenth.
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Draw the picture.
Walking around the corner you walk 500+200 = 700 ft.
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Walking the diagonal you walk sqrt[200^2+500^2] = 538.52 ft.
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Saved distance: 700-538.52 = 161.5 ft.
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Cheers,
Stan H.
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Answer by solver91311(24713) (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!

The diagonal of a rectangle forms the hypotenuse of a right triangle with the sides of the rectangle as the legs. Use the Pythagorean theorem to calculate the measure of the diagonal given the measures of the two sides. Subtract this result from the sum of the two sides to determine the distance saved.

You must round to the nearest tenth because of the problem's instructions. However, note that rounding to the nearest tenth is inappropriate since the measurements of the sides of the rectangle were given as whole number precision. Had the problem constructor wanted one-tenth precision s/he should have given the measurements as 500.0 feet and 200.0 feet. And no, they are NOT the same thing.

John

My calculator said it, I believe it, that settles it

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