Question 183687
The two planes both left the airport at 1:00pm and it is now 3:00pm. So they have both been flying for 2 hours. The plane flying north is traveling at 150 mph so in 2 hours it has gone 300 miles. The plane flying west is traveling at 200 mph so after 2 hours, it has gone 400 miles. If you connect the endoints of the two planes it makes a right triangle. The distance between them is equal to the hypotenuse. Using the Pythagorean therom {{{A^2 + B^2 = C^2}}} we get that {{{C^2 = 300^2 + 400^2 = 250000}}} so {{{C = sqrt(250000) = 500 miles}}}.