You are buying a ladder for your 30-foot-tall house. for safety, you would like to ensure that the base of the ladder be placed at least 8 foot from the base of the house. What is the shorest ladder you can buy in order to be able to reach to top of your house?

Answer 1

Pythagorean Theorem:

a^2 + b^2 = c^2

30^2 + 8^2 = c^2

900 + 64 = c^2

984 = c^2

31.37 = c

You'll need a ladder that's at least 32 feet long.