Geometry and TrigonometryEasy–MediumStraight-line distance after two legs
Geometry and Trigonometry practice question
A hiker walks 8 kilometres due east and then 6 kilometres due north. How far, in kilometres, is the hiker from the starting point?
Answer: 10
East and north are perpendicular, so the two legs and the direct line form a right triangle: √(8² + 6²) = √100 = 10.
Common wrong answers
- If you answered 2
- 2 is 8 − 6; the legs don't subtract.
- If you answered 14
- 14 is 8 + 6, the distance WALKED, not the straight-line distance.
- If you answered 100
- 100 is 8² + 6²; take the square root.
More Geometry and Trigonometry questions
- Easy–Medium
A circle has a radius of 6. What is its area? (Use A = πr².) - Easy–Medium
A right triangle has legs of length 6 and 8. What is the length of the hypotenuse? - Easy–Medium
A circle has a radius of 5. What is its circumference? (Use C = 2πr.) - Easy–Medium
What is the midpoint of the segment joining the points (2, 3) and (8, 11)? - Easy–Medium
What is the measure, in degrees, of angle B? - Easy–Medium
What is the area, in square centimeters, of the trapezoid?
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