Word Problem

Q:  The towns of Brian and Sharri are separated by dense woods.  To get to Brian from Sharri, it is necessary to travel due south for 19.0 km and then turn due east and travel for 14.0 km.  How far is Sharri from Brian?

A:  It is important to draw a picture while you do this problem.  Start at point B (Brian) and draw a line straight down (south) and label it 19 km.  Then, draw a line “east” and label it 14 km — it should end at point S (Sharri).  Notice there is a right triangle between Brian and Sharri with side lengths of 19 and 14?

You can use the Pythagorean Theorem to solve for the hypotenuse (which is the length from B to S directly):

a² + b² = c²

19² + 14² = c²

361 + 196 = c²

557 = c²

√(557) = c

So, the distance from B to S is √(557) ≈ 23.6 km.