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
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?
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The correct answer is C 5 miles.
To find the straight-line distance from Jimmy’s final position to his starting point (home), we can use the Pythagorean theorem.
1. He ran 3 miles west (this is one leg of a right triangle).
2. Then he jogged 4 miles north (this is the other leg of the triangle).
Using the Pythagorean theorem:
[ c = sqrt{a^2 + b^2} ]
where ( a = 3 ) miles and ( b = 4 ) miles.
Calculating it:
[ c = sqrt{3^2 + 4^2} = sqrt{9 + 16} = sqrt{25} = 5 ]
So, Jimmy is 5 miles away from home.