How far is it from the lighthouse to the ship horizontally if the lighthouse is 20 ft tall and shines a beam to the ship 25 ft long? Also, which statement is correct? (1 point)

Question

Responses
x = 225 feet; the distance from the lighthouse to the ship must be the longest distance

x = 15 ft; the distance from the top of the lighthouse to the ship must be the longest distance

x = approximately 24.5 yards; from the top of the lighthouse to the boat must be the shortest distance

x = 15 ft; the distance from the lighthouse to the ship must be the shortest distance

Answer 1

The correct statement is:

x = 15 ft; the distance from the lighthouse to the ship must be the longest distance

The horizontal distance from the lighthouse to the ship can be found using the Pythagorean theorem:

x^2 = 25^2 - 20^2
x^2 = 625 - 400
x^2 = 225
x = 15 ft

Therefore, the correct answer is x = 15 ft.