The northbound car has traveled a distance of 3 miles.
Step-by-step explanation:
Step 1:
The eastbound car has traveled a distance of 4 miles and if a straight line is drawn between the two car's positions it would measure 5 miles.
This forms a triangle which has a hypotenuse measuring 5 miles while one of the other sides measures 4 miles.
Assume the distance traveled by the northbound car is x miles.
Step 2:
According to Pythagoras' theorem,
[tex]5^{2} = 4^{2} +x^{2}, x^{2} = 5^{2} -4^{2} =9.[/tex]
[tex]x^{2} =9, x=3.[/tex]
So the northbound car has traveled a distance of 3 miles.
