Question

A kite is flying 20
feet high above a turtle. The other end of the string is anchored under a rock that is 15
feet from the turtle.

Image_1929

How long is the string?

Responses

5
feet
5 feet

13
feet
13 feet

25
feet
25 feet

35
feet

Answer 1

To calculate the length of the string, you can use the Pythagorean theorem, which states that in a right triangle, the square of the length of the hypotenuse (the longest side) is equal to the sum of the squares of the lengths of the other two sides.

In this case, the height of the kite forms one side of a right triangle, the distance from the turtle to the rock forms the other side, and the length of the string forms the hypotenuse.

Using the given information, we can calculate the length of the string:

Distance from the turtle to the rock = 15 feet
Height of the kite = 20 feet

Using the Pythagorean theorem, we have:

Length of the string^2 = Distance^2 + Height^2
Length of the string^2 = 15^2 + 20^2
Length of the string^2 = 225 + 400
Length of the string^2 = 625

Taking the square root of both sides, we get:

Length of the string = √625
Length of the string = 25 feet

Therefore, the length of the string is 25 feet.