A hummingbird's nest is 12 feet high in a tree and a flower is on the ground 16 feet away from the base of the tree. How far will the hummingbird need to fly to get from its nest to the flower?
The hummingbird will need to fly a total distance of 20 feet to get from its nest to the flower. This is because the hummingbird must first fly down 12 feet from its nest to the ground, then fly 16 feet horizontally to reach the flower. By using the Pythagorean theorem (a^2 + b^2 = c^2), we can calculate the length of the hypotenuse (c) to find the total distance:
a = 12 feet (vertical distance)
b = 16 feet (horizontal distance)
c = √(12^2 + 16^2)
c = √(144 + 256)
c = √400
c = 20 feet
Therefore, the hummingbird will need to fly a distance of 20 feet to get from its nest to the flower.