A 15-foot ladder is leaning against a building, with the base of the ladder 3 feet from the building. how high up on the building will the top of the ladder reach?
Mathematics · High School · Tue Nov 03 2020
Answered on
Given:
Length of Ladder ( c ): 15 foot
Distance of ladder from the base of the building ( a ): 3 feet
Determine how high will the top of the ladder reach,
We will use the Pythagorean formula since the given can be drawn as a right triangle where the length of the ladder is the longest side or the hypotenuse.
Pythagorean Theorem Formula:
c^2 =a^2 + b^2
b^2 = c^2 - a^2
b =√c^2 - a^2
Solution:
Substitute the given values of a and c to the formula for the getting the height
b = √((15)^2 - (3)^2)
b = √(225 -9)
b = √216
b= 14.69
Final answer:
The tip of the ladder will reach a height of 14.69 feet