Scenario: A camper out for a hike is returning to her campsite. The shortest distance between her and her campsite is along a straight line, but as she approaches her campsite, she sees that her tent is on fire! She must run to the river to fill her canteen, and then run to her tent to put out the fire. What is the shortest path she can take? In this exploration you will investigate the minimal two-part path that goes from a point to a line and then to another point.
Objective: Determine the shortest two part path to help a camper put out a fire.
Objective: Determine the shortest two part path to help a camper put out a fire.
If the camper ran to the location of point River, she would get to the fire the quickest. This is the shortest distance because point camper is reflected over the river, creating the most direct path. The measure of the incoming and out going angle are almost congruent. If one of the angles was a lot larger then the other angle, the total distance of the path would be much longer.