Question

an oak tree is 15 meters tall and a bird is standing on the ground 8 meters from the tree. if the bird flies directly to the top of the tree, how far will it fly?
meters

Explanation:

Step1: Identify right triangle sides

The tree height ($a=15$ m) and ground distance ($b=8$ m) are legs of a right triangle; the flight path is the hypotenuse $c$.

Step2: Apply Pythagorean theorem

$$c^2 = a^2 + b^2$$
$$c^2 = 15^2 + 8^2$$
$$c^2 = 225 + 64 = 289$$

Step3: Solve for hypotenuse

$$c = \sqrt{289} = 17$$

Answer:

17 meters