Question

A cable 22 feet long runs from the top of a utility pole to a point on the ground 15 feet from the base of the pole. How tall is the utility pole?

- thanks!

Answer 1

set up a right triangle
the base is 15, hypotenuse 22, and the height is x. solve for x.
use the pythagorean theorum.
a^2+b^2=c^2
15^2+x^2=22^2
225+x^2=484
x^2=259
x=16.09 feet

Answer 2

This looks like a problem for the Pythagorean Theorem.

a^2 + b^2 = c^2

15^2 + b^2 = 22^2
225 + b^2 = 484
b^2 = 484 - 225
b^2 = 259
b = 16.09 feet