Meera jogs 8 km towards the North from a park gate. She then turns right and jogs 15 km. What is the shortest distance between Meera and the park gate now?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → 17 km
A right turn moves the facing direction one step clockwise (North → East). The two legs are at right angles, so the shortest distance is the hypotenuse of a right triangle.
Facing North, 8 km: 8 km north of the gate
Turns right, now facing East, 15 km: 8 km north, 15 km east
Shortest distance \(=\sqrt{15^{2}+8^{2}}=\sqrt{225+64}=\sqrt{289}=17\) km
The shortest distance is 17 km.
