SOLUTION: Two cars leave an intersection. One car travels north; the other east. When the car traveling north had gone 12 miles, the distance between the cars was 4 miles more than the dista

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Question 308361: Two cars leave an intersection. One car travels north; the other east. When the car traveling north had gone 12 miles, the distance between the cars was 4 miles more than the distance traveled by the car heading east. How far had the eastbound car traveled?
Answer by Fombitz(32388) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
D=distance traveled by the car going east
12=distance traveled by the car going north
D+4=distance between the cars.
The distance from start to the car going north, the distance from the start to the car going east, and the distance between the cars form a right triangle.
Right triangles obey the Pythagorean theorem.
A%5E2%2BB%5E2=H%5E2
12%5E2%2BD%5E2=%28D%2B4%29%5E2
D%5E2%2B144=D%5E2%2B8D%2B16
8D%2B16=144
8D=128
D=16
The eastbound car traveled 16 miles.