Thread: Word Problem

A point D on Denmark's largest island is 2.4 miles from the nearest point S on the coast of Sweden (assume the coast is straight, which is nearly the case). A person in a motorboat travels straight from D to a point on the beach x km from S and then travels x km farther along the beach away from S. Find x if the person traveled a total of 4.5 miles.

Originally Posted by OzzMan

A point D on Denmark's largest island is 2.4 miles from the nearest point S on the coast of Sweden (assume the coast is straight, which is nearly the case). A person in a motorboat travels straight from D to a point on the beach x km from S and then travels x km farther along the beach away from S. Find x if the person traveled a total of 4.5 miles.

Have you done a diagram?

RonL

use pythogrean theorem

How exactly would i set it up to solve though? I'm not good at all with word problems. I see your diagram and it make sense but the next post said use pythagorean theorem to solve it. I'm not sure how to do that? unless it would be x^2 +2.4^2=4.5^2. Which I believe it's not after trying it and getting the wrong answer. Can anyone nudge me in the right direction? The answer in the back of the book is x=1.6 miles

$\displaystyle y^2 = (2.4)^2 + x^2 $
$\displaystyle x+y = 4.5 $

2 eqns, 2 unknowns