In Search of Buried Treasure

Tucked away in the attic of your grandparents' farmhouse is a dusty old letter describing the location of a buried treasure. It reads:

To find the treasure, walk into the field behind the farmhouse. Start at the scarecrow. Walk straight from the scarecrow to the oak tree. Count your steps as you walk. When you reach the oak tree, turn 90 degrees to the right and count off the same number of steps. When you reach the end, place a marker in the ground.

Now return to the scarecrow. Walk straight from the scarecrow to the elm tree. Again, count your steps as you walk. When you reach the elm tree, turn 90 degrees to the left and count off the same number of steps. When you reach the end, place a marker in the ground.

Connect the two markers with a rope. Dig beneath the midpoint of the rope to find the treasure.


The oak tree and the elm tree are still in the field, but the scarecrow is long gone. Is the treasure lost? Press the buttons and drag the points to investigate the results of varying the location of the scarecrow. What do you notice? Can you explain why this occurs?

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