Jimmy ran 3 miles west from home and then turned north and jogged 4 miles. In a straight line, how far is Jimmy from home?
A 3.5 miles
B 4 miles
C 5 miles
D 7 miles
E 17 miles
Question & Answer
Calculating Jimmy’s Distance from Home
1 Answer
Verified archiveThe correct answer is C: 5 miles.
To find out how far Jimmy is from home in a straight line, we can use the Pythagorean theorem. After running 3 miles west and then 4 miles north, we have a right triangle where one leg is 3 miles and the other leg is 4 miles.
Using the formula:
[
c = sqrt{a^2 + b^2}
]
where ( a = 3 ) miles and ( b = 4 ) miles, we calculate:
[
c = sqrt{3^2 + 4^2} = sqrt{9 + 16} = sqrt{25} = 5
]
So, Jimmy is 5 miles away from home. Great job working through that! If you have more questions, feel free to ask or check the extended services page for further assistance.