Kavya cycles 9 km towards the East from her house. She then turns left and cycles 12 km. What is the shortest distance between Kavya and her house now?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → 15 km
A left turn moves the facing direction one step anticlockwise (East → North). The two legs are at right angles, so the shortest distance is the hypotenuse of a right triangle.
Facing East, 9 km: 9 km east of the house
Turns left, now facing North, 12 km: 9 km east, 12 km north
Shortest distance \(=\sqrt{9^{2}+12^{2}}=\sqrt{81+144}=\sqrt{225}=15\) km
The shortest distance is 15 km.
