SOLUTION: A sailor in a sea starts sailing from a point A and goes 9km due north and then 32 km due east and then 15 km due north and stop. how much shortest distance from the starting poin

Algebra ->  Surface-area -> SOLUTION: A sailor in a sea starts sailing from a point A and goes 9km due north and then 32 km due east and then 15 km due north and stop. how much shortest distance from the starting poin      Log On


   

Question 825764: A sailor in a sea starts sailing from a point A and goes 9km due north and then 32 km due east and then 15 km due north and stop. how much shortest distance from the starting point to the last?
Answer by Edwin McCravy(20055) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
Up is due north, right is due east. The black
lines show his path from point A to point B.
The green line AB shows the shortest distance
from point A to point B.

 

Draw in the following red lines:



The shortest distance, AB, is the hypotenuse of right triangle ABC.
By the Pythagorean theorem,

ABē = ACē + CBē, and CB = 9km + 15km = 24km
ABē = 32ē + 24ē
ABē = 1024 + 576
ABē = 1600
 AB = √1600  
 AB = 40km

Edwin