1. You can solve this exercise and find the altitude, by applying the Pythagorean Theorem, which is:
h²=a²+b²
"h" is the hypotenuse of the right triangle (h=500 m).
"a" and "b" are the legs of the right triangle (a=400 m and b=x).
2. You want to calculate the altitude "b", so you must clear it from the equation:
h²=a²+b²
b²=h²-a²
b=√(h²-a²)
3. When you substitute the values of "h" and "a" into the formula, you obtain:
b=√(h²-a²)
b=√(500 m)²-(400 m)²
b=300 m
What is the altitude?
The answer is: 300 m