Question

suppose a hiker starts at one corner of a 12 - by - 16 - mile rectangular park and walks diagonally across from one corner to the opposite corner. how far does the hiker travel? select one of four 18 mi. 22 mi. 28 mi. 20 mi. remaining attempts: 1

Explanation:

Step1: Apply Pythagorean theorem

The Pythagorean theorem is \(a^{2}+b^{2}=c^{2}\), where \(a = 12\), \(b=16\), and \(c\) is the diagonal (distance the hiker travels).
So, \(12^{2}+16^{2}=c^{2}\).

Step2: Calculate \(12^{2}\) and \(16^{2}\)

\(12^{2}=144\), \(16^{2}=256\).
Then \(144 + 256=c^{2}\), which is \(400=c^{2}\).

Step3: Solve for \(c\)

Take the square root of both sides: \(c=\sqrt{400}\).
Since \(\sqrt{400}=20\).

Answer:

20 mi.