Aarav leaves his house and cycles 6 km east. He then turns left and cycles 8 km. How far is he from his house now, in a straight line?

2 kmCorrect answerYour answer10 kmCorrect answerYour answer14 kmCorrect answerYour answer100 kmCorrect answerYour answer

Show the answer and explanation

CorrectNot quiteAnswer B

Correct answer: B

Turning left from east means he now faces north, so the two legs are at right angles.
Straight-line distance $= \sqrt{6^2 + 8^2} = \sqrt{36 + 64} = \sqrt{100} = 10$ km.

Worth noting

14 km adds the two legs, which is the distance travelled, not the distance from home. 100 km forgets the square root. 6-8-10 is the 3-4-5 triple doubled.

Concept: Pythagoras for two perpendicular legs
Typical timeTypical: 40 s
Your timeYours: —

The rule this testsDistance and final position

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Ten questions from Direction Sense, at your own pace.

Aarav leaves his house and cycles 6 km east. He then turns left and cycles 8 km. How far is he from his house now, in a straight line?

Explanation