Problema Solution

geometry surveying a surveying team wants to calculate how long a straight tunnel through mountain will be. they find a place where the lines to the two ends of the proposed tunnel form a right angle. the distance are shown. how long will the tunnel be? give the exact answer, and, if you have a calculator, provide an approximate answer to two decimal places.

Answer provided by our tutors

The length of the tunnel is x miles.

The equation is

x^2 = 1^2 + 2^2

x^2 = 5

x = sqrt(5) = 2.24 miles

So the length of the tunnel is 2.24 miles