Question

Lucy is going to do her first zip line. The zip line is 20 feet long. The distance from the base of the zip line tower to the finish is 15 feet. How high up the tower does Lucy have to climb before she can zip line down. Round answer to the nearest tenth if necessary

Answer 1

Lucy has to climb 13.2 feet.

Explanation:

By the Pythagoras theorem, with zip line being the hypothesis and the distance from tower base to finish as one side,

20^2 = 15^2 + Height^2

Height^2 = 400 - 225 = 175

Height = 13.22 feet

Lucy has to climb 13.2 feet.

Answer 2

13.2'

Explanation:

zip line, tower n finish form right-angle triangle w/

zip line as hypothesis=20' n the distance to finish as one side=15'

the tower height^2 + 15^2 = 20^2

the tower height = sqrt (400-225)

=sqrt(175)

=13.2'