A man travels 2 miles, turns left and travels 3 miles, turn left again and…
2024
A man travels 2 miles, turns left and travels 3 miles, turn left again and travel 6 miles. How far is he from the starting point?
- A.
4 miles
- B.
7 miles
- C.
5 miles
- D.
9 miles
Attempted by 514 students.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: C
Solution: Find the final coordinates and use the Pythagorean theorem.
Start at (0, 0). After travelling 2 miles in the initial direction (call it east), the position is (2, 0).
Turning left (north) and travelling 3 miles gives position (2, 3).
Turning left again (west) and travelling 6 miles gives position (2 − 6, 3) = (−4, 3).
Straight-line distance from the start = sqrt((−4)^2 + 3^2) = sqrt(16 + 9) = sqrt(25) = 5 miles.
Answer: 5 miles