To determine the length of the cable needed to support the volleyball net post, you can visualize it as a right triangle. The height difference between the hook on the post and the hook in the floor is 4 ft (height of the hook) minus 0 ft (floor level), and the horizontal distance from the base of the post to the hook in the floor is 3 ft.
- The vertical distance (rise) is 4 ft.
- The horizontal distance (run) is 3 ft.
You can use the Pythagorean theorem to find the length of the cable (hypotenuse):
\[ cable^2 = (vertical\ distance)^2 + (horizontal\ distance)^2 \] \[ cable^2 = (4\ ft)^2 + (3\ ft)^2 \] \[ cable^2 = 16\ ft^2 + 9\ ft^2 \] \[ cable^2 = 25\ ft^2 \] \[ cable = \sqrt{25\ ft^2} = 5\ ft \]
Therefore, the length of the cable should be 5 ft.