Question

Suppose a railroad rail is 3 kilometers and it expands on a hot day by 18 centimeters in length. Approximately how many meters would the center of the rail rise above the​ ground?

Answer 1

16.43 meters

Explanation:

If the shape of the rise is a triangle, then the center of it is half the total length from the end. We can find the rise (y) using the Pythagorean theorem:

1500.09² = 1500² +y² . . . . .dimensions in meters

270.0081 = y²

y = √270.0081 ≈ 16.43 . . . . meters

About the most it would rise is 16.43 meters.

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If the shape is an arc of a circle, the height is about 14.2 meters.