A mouse lives at the base of a 24 metre high tree . A hawk sitting on top of the tree,notices the mouse when the mouse is heading home and is 72 metre from the base of the tree. The hawk plans to dive in a straight line and catch the mouse . If they both travel the same distance, how far from the base of the tree will the hawk catch the mouse
So, if they both travel a distance x, we have
24^2 + (72-x)^2 = x^2
Solve for x, and the desired distance is 72-x.