Question 876952
Q:
To reach her friend’s house, Samantha has to drive 9 miles north, turn left and drive 3 miles west, and then finally take another left and drive 3 miles south. What is the shortest distance between Samantha’s house and her friend’s house?
A:
Let Samantha's house be located at the origin (0,0).
The point 9 miles north of (0,0) is at (0,9).
The point 3 miles west of (0,9) is at (-3,9).
The point 3 miles south of (-3, 9) is at (-3,6).
Use the distance formula to get the distance between the origin and the 
point (-3, 6).
d = {{{sqrt((-3-0)^2 + (6-0)^2)}}} = {{{highlight(3*sqrt(5))}}} miles