# Math Help - Need Help with this distance problem

1. ## Need Help with this distance problem

• Two cars start off at the same point on a straight road facing opposite directions. Each car drives for six miles, takes a left turn, and drives for eight miles. How far apart are the two cars?
a• 2 miles
b• 11 miles
c• 14 miles
d• 20 miles
e• 26 miles

Thank you!!

• Two cars start off at the same point on a straight road facing opposite directions. Each car drives for six miles, takes a left turn, and drives for eight miles. How far apart are the two cars?
a• 2 miles
b• 11 miles
c• 14 miles
d• 20 miles
e• 26 miles

Thank you!!
First draw a picture - see attachment.

Then the required distance is twice the hypotenuse of a right triangle
with sides of 6 and 8. You can use Pythagoras's theorem to compute
this. Or you can observe that 6 and 8 are twice the sides of a 3,4,5
triangle so the hypotenuse you seek is 10 mile, and so the total distance
is 20 mile.

Method 2: This is a multiple choice question. Therefore do a scale diagram
and measure the distance of off the diagram.

RonL

Did you make a sketch?

Two cars start off at the same point on a straight road facing opposite directions.
Each car drives for six miles, takes a left turn, and drives for eight miles.
How far apart are the two cars?
(a) 2 miles . (b) 11 miles . (c) 14 miles . (d) 20 miles . (e) 26 miles
Code:
*
/ |
/   | 8
6     /     |
* - - - * - - - *
|     /     6
8 |   /
| /
*

Using Pythagorus, each car is $\sqrt{6^2+8^2} = 10$ miles from the starting point.

. . Therefore, they are $20$ miles apart.