SSAT Math Question 659: Answer and Explanation
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Question: 659
3. The town of Mechanicville lies due east of Stillwater and due south of Half Moon Crescent. If the distance from Mechanicville to Stillwater is 30 miles, and from Mechanicville to Half Moon Crescent is 40 miles, what is the shortest distance from Stillwater to Half Moon Crescent?
- A. 10
- B. 50
- C. 70
- D. 100
Correct Answer: B
Explanation:
To start, draw a picture for this question. Mechanicville must be due east of Stillwater, so draw Mechanicville directly to the right of Stillwater. Mechanicville is also due south of Half Moon Crescent, so draw Half Moon Crescent directly above Mechanicville. Connect each of these cities to form a right triangle. Label the lengths of the sides, 30 miles and 40 miles according to the problem. The length of the hypotenuse will equal the shortest distance from Stillwater to Half Moon Crescent. Use the Pythagorean Theorem to find the hypotenuse (302 + 402 = c2), or recognize that this is a 3-4-5 right triangle. Therefore, the sides are 30, 40, and 50. The correct answer is (B).