Expert: Steve Holleran - 6/18/2007

Question
Can you show me how to figure this out? Thank you,,,,, A city block 500 feet has a large building 300 feet be 300 feet in the exact center. The rest of the block is an unobstructed paved lot. What is the shortest distance from the SW corner to the NE corner of the city block, going through the paved lot (to the nearest foot)

Answer
Hi Carly,

Okay, since the building is centered on the block, there are 100 feet on each side of it, in both directions.

If you draw a segment from the SW corner of the block to the SW corner of the building, then drop a segment from the SW corner of the building straight down to the bottom side of the block, you should have a right triangle with both legs 100 ft.  This means the hypotenuse is 100*sqrt2 = 141.4 ft

You would also get this distance in the upper right, from the NE corner of the building to the NE corner of the block.

Therefore, if you walk from the SW corner of the block to the SW corner of the building, then East along the building to its SE corner, then north along the building to its NE corner, then straight to the NE corner of the block, you should travel:

              141.4 + 300 + 300 + 141.4 = 882.8 ft

So to the nearest foot, I'd say 883 ft.

I hope you understand my description--a diagram is difficult to do here.

Steve Holleran