A wire is stretched from the ground to the top of an antenna tower. The wire is 20 feet long. The height of the tower is 4 feet greater than the distance from the tower's base to the end of the wire.Find the height of the tower.

20^2=H^2 + (H-4)^2
solve for h
400=2H^2 - 8H +16
H^2 - 4H-192
(H-16)(H+12) = 0
postive root h = 16 feet
tower;s base is sqrt (20^2-16^2)
=
12 feet from where the cable touches the ground

is this correct?

1 answer

check
16^2+12^2=20^2

(this is a 3,4,5 triangle)

correct.