Name:_______________________
Rectangular Coordinate Applications
Baseball Problem
A major league baseball ‘diamond’ is actually a square; 90 feet on a side (see diagram). What
is the distance directly from home plate to second base (the diagonal of the square)? Show all
work!
Overlay a rectangular coordinate system on a major league diamond so that the origin is at the
tip of home plate, the positive x-axis lies in the direction from home plate to first base, and the
positive y-axis lies in the direction from home plate to third base.
What are the coordinates for first base, second base, and third base? Use feet as the unit of
measurement.
For the Colorado Rockies, Dexter Fowler plays center field. What are his coordinates? How far
is Dexter Fowler from second base? Show all work!
Name:_______________________
Also for the Colorado Rockies, Carlos Gonzalez plays right field and Seth Smith plays left field.
If there is a play at the plate, who has a shorter throw?
During the next inning, Todd Helton hit a home run (see star on the diagram). How far did the
ball travel?