Question

Point M is 8m west of N, which is 6m north of P. Point O is 10m south of Q. P is 5m east of O. What is the shortest distance between M and Q?

• A. 12m
• B. 5m
• C. 10m
• D. 15m

Answer 1

Answer:

B. 5m

• First, visualize the positions of the points to understand their spatial arrangement.
• Establish the relative positions:
  • M is 8m west of N.
  • N is 6m north of P.
  • O is 10m south of Q.
  • P is 5m east of O.
• Combine the information to relate M and Q:
  • Since N is 6m north of P, and P is 5m east of O, then N is 6m north and 5m east of O.
  • Given O is 10m south of Q, Q is 10m north of O.
  • Therefore, N is 4m (10m - 6m) south and 5m east of Q.
  • Since M is 8m west of N, M is effectively 4m south and 3m west (8m - 5m) of Q.
• Calculate the shortest distance (straight line) between M and Q using the Pythagorean theorem:
  • The horizontal distance is 3m, and the vertical distance is 4m.
  • Distance = √ (3² + 4²) = √(9 + 16) = √25 = 5m.