Oscar's dog house is shaped like a tent. The slanted sides are both 5 feet long and the bottom of the house is 6 feet across. What is the height of his dog house, in feet, at its tallest point?

Question

Draw a picture:

Solve:

Answer 1

The height of the dog house can be found using the Pythagorean Theorem since the slanted sides form a right triangle with the height.

Let x be the height of the dog house at its tallest point.

Using the Pythagorean Theorem:

(5 feet)^2 + (x feet)^2 = (6 feet)^2
25 + x^2 = 36
x^2 = 11
x = √11
x ≈ 3.32 feet

Therefore, the height of Oscar's dog house at its tallest point is approximately 3.32 feet.