A surveyor moves 30 km South, then 16 km West, then 18 km North, then 7 km East from point P. Find the straight-line distance between the final position and P.

Important Notes

• Draw a north arrow before solving and take East as positive x, West as negative x, North as positive y, and South as negative y. |
• Combine opposite movements before calculating distance: cancel East with West and North with South. |
• Decide the final direction from the signs of the remaining horizontal and vertical displacements. For example, positive x and negative y indicate South-East. |