Henry was 40 feet away from his original starting point. Using Pythagorean's theorem it is calculated.
The theorem says that,
In a right-angled triangle, the sum of squares of the lengths of two arms (opposite and adjacent sides) is equal to the square of the hypotenuse.
I.e, Consider a right-angled triangle ΔABC, where AC is the hypotenuse side of the triangle. So, according to the theory,
AC² = AB² + BC²
It is given that,
Henry walked on a flat field,
9 meters - towards the north
24 feet - towards the east
9 meters + 32 feet - towards the south
This can be shown in the diagram below.
In the diagram, the distance from the starting point is X, and the last point is S.
To find the distance between these two points, a line is joined as shown in the diagram. Thus, it is formed as a right-angled triangle.
So, according to the Pythagorean theorem,
XS² = (24)² + (32)²
(here 32 feet is the only distance from the assumed point to the endpoint)
⇒ XS² = 1600 = 40²
∴ XS = 40 feet
So, Henry is 40 feet away from the original starting point.
Learn more about the Pythagorean theorem here:
https://brainly.com/question/343682
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