SOLUTION: The lawn in front of Kermit Middle School is in the shape of a rectangle 30 yd long and 16 yd wide. How much shorter is your walk if you walk diagonally across the lawn rather than

Algebra ->  Pythagorean-theorem -> SOLUTION: The lawn in front of Kermit Middle School is in the shape of a rectangle 30 yd long and 16 yd wide. How much shorter is your walk if you walk diagonally across the lawn rather than      Log On


   

Question 68838: The lawn in front of Kermit Middle School is in the shape of a rectangle 30 yd long and 16 yd wide. How much shorter is your walk if you walk diagonally across the lawn rather than along two sides of it?
Answer by Zoop(21) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
Okay. This is a problem that is based upon the Pythagorean theorem.
If you cut the square of 30x16 in half diagonally, you have a triangle with the dimensions of 30+16+(the square root of)(30^2+16^2). Simplify, and you get:
30+16+(the square root of)(1156).
What is the square root of 1156? We'd need a calculator for that, but the answer is 34 (34%5E2=1156.
That means the total perimeter of the triangle is 46+34, or 80.
The perimeter of the rectangle is (30+16)*2, or 92.
92-80=12, so you'd have to walk 12 yards less.