Answer: 60.21 miles
SOLUTION
The trip is as follows:
80 miles East
50 miles North
40 miles West
95 miles South
Since, they drove 80 miles East and 40 miles West
Total horizontal displacement = 80 – 40 (Since east and west
are in opposite directions)
Total horizontal displacement = 40 miles (East)
Since, they drove 50 miles North and 95 miles South
Total vertical displacement = 95 – 50 (Since north and south
are in opposite directions)
Total vertical displacement = 45 miles (South)
This forms a right angled triangle
40 miles horizontal displacement
45 miles vertical displacement
Current distance from the starting point, d = Hypotenuse of
the triangle
d² = 40² + 45²
d² = 1600 + 2025
d² = 3625
√d² = √3625
d = 60.21 miles
Therefore, Latasha and Mike are 60.21 miles from the
starting point.
