ShmoopTube

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Arithmetic Math Problems, a la Shmoop. Phil and Jill have successfully robbed a bank.

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They can’t get into too much trouble for it, as they are in the bank robbers’ union.

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But they’d rather not deal with the authorities if they can help it.

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Phil rides his getaway bike due north pedaling at 20 miles per hour.

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Jill rides her getaway bike due east pedaling at 22 miles per hour.

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How far apart are they after fifteen minutes? Round the answer to the nearest tenth.

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Here are your choices? Not that Phil or Jill really give a hoot what

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shape they’re forming… …but the local sheriff is intrigued when

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he realizes that… …because Phil and Jill are traveling due

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north and due east, creating a 90 degree angle… … the two fugitives have created a perfectly

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right triangle. Fortunately for Phil and Jill, the cops in

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this town are easily distracted by arithmetic problems.

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The cops decide to let n represent the distance between the two felons…

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…and then use the Pythagorean theorem to work out the distance.

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When we draw it out, it should look something like this….

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0.25 hours times 20 miles per hour squared plus 0.25 hours times 22 miles per hour squared

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equals n squared. This reduces to 5 squared plus 5.5 squared

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equals n squared… …then to 55.25 equals n squared.

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So n equals the square root of 55.25… which is 7.4

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Looks like “C” is our answer. However, by the time the police have arrived

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at this solution… …Phil and Jill are long gone with the loot.

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Maybe now those two can afford a decent getaway vehicle.

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