Question

A painter leans an 18 foot ladder against the house so that the base of the ladder is 4 feet away from the wall. Approximately how far up the side of the house does the ladder reach?​

Answer 1

Answer: 17.5ft

Explanation:

Use Pythagorean theorem

A^2 + B^2 = c^2 where c is the hypotenuse

The ladder leaning against the wall is the hypotenuse.

4^2 + b^2 = 18^2

16 + b^2 = 324

324-16 = b^2

308 = b^2

B = 17.5ft