(You must also explain your answer to get the 10 points.)
Two cars start off at the same point on a straight highway facing opposite directions. Each car drives for 6 miles, takes a left turn, and drives for 8 miles. How far apart are the two cars?
2006-07-18 11:08:28 · 24 answers · asked by Sugar_Mama 3 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Mathematics
20 miles.
Each car traces out a 6:8:10 right triangle in opposite directions. Double the 10, and you get your answer.
2006-07-18 11:11:58 · answer #1 · answered by foofoo19472 3 · 4⤊ 2⤋
20 miles. They travel a pythagorean triangle (in the common 3:4:5 ratio) of 6:8:10. Each car is 10 miles away from its starting point; double that for 20 miles between cars.
2006-07-18 11:12:33 · answer #2 · answered by -j. 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
16 miles? But that is only assuming that the cars met after driving the 6 miles. Because if they didn't make the left turn at the same point, it would be more than 16 miles.
2006-07-18 11:14:09 · answer #3 · answered by happymommy 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They're 20 miles apart.
Car A is goes east, Car B goes west. Then Car A turns south and Car B turns north. From these turns, you can form 2 right triangles.
Using A^2 + B^2 = C^2 on each triangle, you are able to figure out the distance they are from each other.
2006-07-18 11:16:29 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
20 miles. set it up like two triangles that share one point and hypotenuses make a line.. the legs are 6 and 8. the hypotenuses are the unkown. using pythagorean theroem ( c squared = a squared + b squared) distance squared = 6 squared + 8 squared. d squared = 36 +64. d squared = 100. square root of 100 is 10. add the hypotenuses 10+10 = 20
2006-07-18 11:17:58 · answer #5 · answered by coltsfan3874 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
a^2 + b^2 = c^2
8^2 + 6^2 = c^2
64 + 36 = c^2
c^2 = 100
c = 10
thats just for one cars distance from the starting point, since both of them travelled the same distance, you have to double the length, and you get
20 miles that they are apart from each other.
2006-07-18 12:28:50 · answer #6 · answered by Sherman81 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
20 miles
2006-07-18 11:14:34 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
20 miles
2006-07-18 11:13:18 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It forms a triangle. 12 miles by 16 miles.
The distance is the hypotenue.
sqr(144 + 256)
They are 20 miles apart.
2006-07-18 11:13:05 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
20 miles. Explanation: What everybody said...I'm too lazy to write it out, sorry!
Just calculate the 2 hypotenues of the right triangle and add them together. If you make a visual diagram in your head, you see a squarey zig-zag.to fine how far apart they are, think of an imaginary diagonal line connecting the 2 ends...tada. Now just do pythagorean theorum...
2006-07-18 11:22:06 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋