Question 551748
YES. Because 13+7>19.
If you connect two sticks of length 13 cm and 7 cm
(blue and red in the figure) at one end with a hinge, {{{drawing(300,300,-13,7,-1,19,
blue(line(-12.95,1.133,0,0)), red(line(0,0,6.972,0.61)), line(-12.95,1.133,6.972,0.61),
blue(line(-11.258,8,0,1.5)), red(line(0,1.5,6.062,5)), line(-11.258,8,6.062,5),
blue(line(-6.5,18.258,0,7)), red(line(0,7,3.5,13.062)), line(-6.5,18.258,3.5,13.062),
locate(-6,0.5,13),locate(3,0.3,7),
locate(-7,5,13),locate(3,3.4,7),
locate(-4.5,13.3,13),locate(1.9,10.5,7)
)}}}
the free ends could be at a distance of up to 20 cm (13 cm + 7 cm).
You get the 20 cm distance when the ends of the sticks are aligned.
If the sticks are at any angle other than 180 degrees, the ends of the sticks would be 3 points not aligned and would form a triangle.
The distance between the free ends of the sticks, measured along a straight line (black), is shorter that the distance from one free end, going throung the hinge, to the other free end (blue+red).
In geometry, that means that the length of a side of a triangle is less than the sum of the lengths of the other two sides.
At a struck stop, it is stated as "a straight line is the shortest distance between two points."