A man goes 12 m due south and then 35 m due west. How far is he from the starting point?
From ΔABC, we note that
A is the starting point.
AB = 12m, BC = 35m
CA = distance from starting point = x m
We know that the Pythagoras Theorem states that in a right triangle, the square of the hypotenuse is equal to the sum of the squares of the other two sides.
By Pythagoras Theorem,
CA2 = AB2 + BC2
CA2 = 122 + 352
CA2 = 144 + 1225
CA2 = 1369
CA = 37m
The man is 37 m far from the starting point.
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