How far apart are their destinations? Physics Question. I think its looking for the displacement...

Question

Joe and Max shake hands and say goodbye. Joe walks east 0.45 km to a coffee shop, and Max flags a cab and rides north 3.20 km to a bookstore. How far apart are their destinations?

Answer 1

Make a drawing on graph paper.

From starting point S, go to the right a distance marked as 0.45 km...point J

From S, go upward a distance marked as 3.20 km, to point M.

 

Isn't there a right triangle MSJ ?  The distance you seek is MJ...looks like the hypotenuse.

Clear enough?