We are given:
- Horizontal distance: 50 miles to 20 miles = 30 miles
- Vertically distance: 30,500 ft to 18,000 ft = 12,500 ft.
In order to find our distance we need to recreate a right triangle.
• Converting ft in mi:
12,500 ft x (1 mile / 5280 ft) = 2.367 miles (rounded to three decimal places for accuracy)
Now we have two sides of a triangle in the same units (y = 2.367 miles ; x = 30 miles).
Using pythagorean theorem, we can find the distance traveled in a straight line.; as follows:
2.367² + 30² = c²
5.603 + 900 = c²
√905.63 = c
c ≈ 30 mi
