A plane flies to three cities which, when connected, form a right triangle. The total flight distance (from city A to city B to city C adn back to city A) is 1400 miles. It is 600 miles between the two cities that are farthest apart. Find the other two distances between cities. It has a picture showing city C as the 90 degree angle and has city B to city A as the hypotenuse. You should probably use Pathagorean Theorem.
2007-03-22 16:12:37 · 4 answers · asked by stars 2 in Education & Reference ➔ Homework Help
Hint: the two cities the farthest apart form the hypotenuse.
1400-600 = 800, which is the COMBINED distance for the other two.
AB is 600 (the longest aka hypotenuse). Based on the information, CA +BC = 800. Also, CA^2 + BC^2 = 600^2 = 360000
I hope that helps!
2007-03-22 16:15:33 · answer #1 · answered by Aimers 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The hypoteneuse is the longest distance in any right triangle and here it is 600
That means that one city is x miles from the other and the 3rd city is 800-x from the second.
Good old Pythagorus showed that a^2 + b^2 = C^2
so x^2 + (800-x)^2 = 600^2
simplifying x^2 - x^2 -1600x + 640000 = 360000
16x = 2800
x = 175 miles
800-175 = 625miles
2007-03-22 23:23:59 · answer #2 · answered by ignoramus 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Is the distance from C to B and C to A equal? If so the distances would be equal, 400 miles + 400 miles + 600 miles equals 1400 in my book!
2007-03-22 23:17:24 · answer #3 · answered by Patricia D 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
um study math and um i really dont know
2007-03-22 23:15:34 · answer #4 · answered by Rajamma S 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋