Two joggers run 8 miles north and then 5 miles west. What is the shortest distance , to the nearest tenth of a mile they must travel to return to their starting point
To return to their starting point, the joggers must travel the hypotenuse of a right triangle with legs 8 and 5 miles respectively. Using the Pythagorean theorem, we can find the length of the hypotenuse:
c^2 = a^2 + b^2
c^2 = 8^2 + 5^2
c^2 = 64 + 25
c^2 = 89
c ≈ 9.4 miles
Therefore, the shortest distance the joggers must travel to return to their starting point is about 9.4 miles.