Comments on: What Is the Answer to This Fun Math Question? Explain Your Logic.?

By: Gary E

Gary E — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 06:43:59 +0000

20
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By: John Dull

John Dull — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 06:33:59 +0000

Fred beat me to it, it is only 20 miles if you consider plane geometry. Because we assume they are walking on a curved surface (ie, Earth's surface) the actual geometric distance – given by a straight line that separates them – would have to go through the sphere and would be and would be slightly less than 20 miles.
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By: Crazy Horse

Crazy Horse — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 06:26:59 +0000

I think that they are 20 miles apart.

If you were to draw this on a piece of paper, it would form two right triangles, each having leg measures of 6 and 8. The distance that they are apart is the sum of the two hypotenuses. To find the hypotenuse (c), where a nd b are legs of the right triangle:
c² = a² + b²
c² = (6)² + (8)²
c² = 36 + 64
c² = 100
c = √100
c = 10 miles
Since both of the triangles are congruent, 10 + 10 = 20. And THAT is how I came up with 20 miles.
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By: fred

fred — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 05:51:59 +0000

20 miles answers as given above
BUT only if assuming they walk normally, not walking side-way or walking backwards. also assume the earth is flat.
sorry if i make the answer "un-fun"
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By: Clueless

Clueless — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 05:35:59 +0000

When they both walk North and South, they each walk 6 miles in opposite directions, so their vertical distance apart is 12 miles.

When they turn left, one walks 8 miles East and the other 8 miles West, so their horizontal distance apart is 16 miles.

You can now apply the Pythagorean theorem. 12-16 are multiples of 3 and 4, so you have a 3-4-5 right triangle scaled by a factor of 4. Therefore, the triangle is 12-16-20, and the distance is 20 miles.
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By: Hynton C

Hynton C — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 04:45:59 +0000

Jenna goes west and Danni goes east, so the distance between them is the hypotenuse of a triangle with horizontal side 16, vertical side 12, so the distance is 20 miles (using Pythagoras')
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By: smith

smith — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 04:13:59 +0000

20 miles miles

let they started from pt.O
and both walked 6 miles in opposite directions i.e, A and B
now they turned left and reached C and D

now distance of C and D is

(using Pythagoras')

((6^2)+(8^2))^1/2 + ((6^2)+(8^2))^1/2
(36+64)^1/2 +(36+64)^1/2
100^1/2+100^1/2
10+10
20
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me