Question

you start driving east for 12 miles, turn left, and drive north for another 10 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 east - west and north - south paths form a right - triangle. The two legs of the right - triangle are $a = 12$ miles and $b = 10$ 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 $a = 12$ and $b = 10$ into the formula: $c=\sqrt{12^{2}+10^{2}}=\sqrt{144 + 100}=\sqrt{244}$.

Step3: Calculate and round

$\sqrt{244}\approx15.6$ miles.

Answer:

$15.6$ miles