A walks 12 km towards west and then 18 km towards south. He then moves 2 km…
2024
A walks 12 km towards west and then 18 km towards south. He then moves 2 km towards north to reach B's house. How far is B's house situated?
- A.
24 km
- B.
15 km
- C.
20 km
- D.
30 km
Attempted by 17 students.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: C
Answer: 20 km
Explanation:
Compute net north-south displacement: 18 km south then 2 km north gives 18 - 2 = 16 km south.
Compute east-west displacement: 12 km west.
Use the Pythagorean theorem for the straight-line distance: distance = sqrt((16 km)^2 + (12 km)^2) = sqrt(256 + 144) = sqrt(400) = 20 km.
Therefore, B's house is 20 km from the starting point.