Question

you start driving south for 16 miles, turn left, and drive east for another 12 miles. at the end of driving, what is your straight line distance from your starting point? round to the nearest tenth of a mile.

Explanation:

Step1: Identify right - triangle sides

The south - ward and east - ward drives form a right - triangle. The two legs of the right - triangle are $a = 16$ miles and $b = 12$ miles.

Step2: Apply Pythagorean theorem

The Pythagorean theorem is $c=\sqrt{a^{2}+b^{2}}$, where $c$ is the hypotenuse (the straight - line distance from the starting point). Substitute $a = 16$ and $b = 12$ into the formula: $c=\sqrt{16^{2}+12^{2}}=\sqrt{256 + 144}=\sqrt{400}$.

Step3: Calculate the value of $c$

$\sqrt{400}=20$ miles.

Answer:

20.0 miles