Sonja's house is 4 blocks west and 1 block south of the center of town. Her school is 3 blocks east and 2 blocks north of the center of town.

What is the direct distance from Sonja's house to her school?

(Hint: The center of town should be the origin, and north is up.)

The answer is √58 = 7.62

So, if you draw this down, you will see that the direct distance is hypotenuse c of a right triangle which sides are 3 blocks (1 south and 2 north) and 7 blocks (4 west and 3 east).

Use the Pythagorean theorem:

c² = a² + b²

a = 3

b = 7

c² = 3² + 7²

c² = 9 + 49

c² = 58

c = √58

c = 7.62