Question

A cable 16 m long runs from the top of a utility pole to a point on the ground 4 m from the base of the pole. How tall is the utility pole, to the nearest tenth?

A. 256
B. 16
C. 15.5
D. 16.5

Answer 1

Easier way? Multiply since they have the same value

16m * 4m = 16.4 ~ D. 16.5

Answer 2

16.5

Step-by-step explanation:

You would want to use the Pythagorean Theory which is a^2+b^2=c^2

Soooo...

16^2 + 4^2 = c^2

256 + 16 = c^2

272 = c^2

square root of 272 = 16.4924225025

Round that to 16.5