could someone show me how to write this or set up this equation?2 ships sail from the same port, one sails dew east at 15 mph and the second sailed dew south at 20 mph, how far apart are the ships after 3 hours?

This is the time to use the Pythagorean Theorem.

But first, determine how far they sailed.
15 * 3 = 45
20 * 3 = 60

Then plug those numbers into the theorem and solve for the hypoteneuse.

To find the distance between the two ships after 3 hours, we can use the Pythagorean theorem, which states that in a right triangle, the square of the hypotenuse (the side opposite the right angle) is equal to the sum of the squares of the other two sides.

In this case, we can consider the paths of the two ships as the two sides of a right triangle, with the distance between the ships as the hypotenuse.

Let's break down the problem step by step:

Step 1: Determine the distance traveled by each ship after 3 hours.
- The ship sailing due east travels at a rate of 15 mph for 3 hours, so the distance traveled by this ship is 15 mph * 3 hours = 45 miles.
- The ship sailing due south travels at a rate of 20 mph for 3 hours, so the distance traveled by this ship is 20 mph * 3 hours = 60 miles.

Step 2: Use the Pythagorean theorem to find the distance between the two ships.
- Let's assume that the distance between the two ships is "d" miles.
- According to the Pythagorean theorem, d^2 = (45 miles)^2 + (60 miles)^2.

Step 3: Solve for the distance between the two ships.
- Substitute the values into the equation: d^2 = 45^2 + 60^2.
- Calculate: d^2 = 2025 + 3600.
- Simplify: d^2 = 5625.
- Take the square root of both sides: d = √5625.
- Calculate: d ≈ 75 miles.

Therefore, after 3 hours, the two ships will be approximately 75 miles apart.