Question

A volleyball net post needs a cable to support it. The hook to attach the cable is 4 ft. above the court surface, and the hook in the floor is 3 ft. from the base of the post. How long should the cable be

Answer 1

To find the length of the cable, we can use the Pythagorean theorem.

Let's denote the length of the cable as "c", the height above the court surface as "a", and the distance from the base of the post to the floor hook as "b".

According to the given information, we have:
a = 4 ft
b = 3 ft

Using the Pythagorean theorem, we have the equation:

c² = a² + b²

Substituting the given values, we have:

c² = (4 ft)² + (3 ft)²
c² = 16 ft² + 9 ft²
c² = 25 ft²

Taking the square root of both sides of the equation, we find:

c = √(25 ft²)
c ≈ 5 ft

Therefore, the length of the cable should be approximately 5 ft.