<PRE><B>Question 124452</B>
This is a great application of the Theorem of Pythagoras!  Can you see that the path of the car and path of the train are actually LEGS of a right triangle??  And, the hypotenuse of this right triangle is the direct distance of the train from the car at that moment!


So, {{{a^2 +b^2 = c^2}}}
{{{30^2 +x^2= 50^2}}}
{{{900+x^2=2500}}}

{{{x^2=1600}}}
{{{x= 40}}}   {{{meters}}}


Of course, I have sections with detailed explanations of the Theorem of Pythagoras on my own website in Chapter 2 of my Basic Algebra.  Send me an Email if you have trouble finding it!


R^2

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