To find the length of the cable needed to support the volleyball net post, we can use the Pythagorean theorem.
- The vertical distance from the hook above the court surface to the floor is 4 ft.
- The horizontal distance from the post to the hook in the floor is 3 ft.
You can visualize this situation as a right triangle, where:
- One leg (vertical) is 4 ft,
- The other leg (horizontal) is 3 ft,
- The length of the cable (hypotenuse) is what we need to find.
Using the Pythagorean theorem: \[ c^2 = a^2 + b^2 \] Where:
- \(c\) is the length of the cable,
- \(a\) is the vertical distance,
- \(b\) is the horizontal distance.
Substituting the values: \[ c^2 = (4 , ft)^2 + (3 , ft)^2 \] \[ c^2 = 16 , ft^2 + 9 , ft^2 \] \[ c^2 = 25 , ft^2 \] \[ c = \sqrt{25 , ft^2} = 5 , ft \]
Thus, the length of the cable should be 5 ft.
The correct response is: 5 ft.