a 20 foot latter will be used to paint the exterior of a house. The foot of the latter needs to be 4.5 feet from the base of the house. What is the maximum height the ladder will reach?
2 answers
h^2 = 20^2 - 4.5^2
This is a problem for Pythagoras.
a^2 + b^2 = c^2
4.5^2 + b^2 = 20^2
20.25 + b^2 = 400
b^2 = 379.75
b = 19.5
a^2 + b^2 = c^2
4.5^2 + b^2 = 20^2
20.25 + b^2 = 400
b^2 = 379.75
b = 19.5
5 answers