The ladder, the ground, and the wall make a right triangle. Use the pythagorean theorem to find the height.
a^2 + b^2 = c^2
a^2 + 4^2 = 20^2
a^2 + 16 = 400
a^2 = 384
a = 19.5959
A 20 foot ladder is leaning against the side of a building. The bottom of the ladder is 4 feet from the wall. How many feet above the ground does the ladder touch the wall?
2 answers
16
3 answers