Question

A wire 29 feet long is stretched from the top of a flagpole to the ground at a point 20 feet from the base of the pole. How high is the flagpole?

Answer 1

A right triangle is made where the two legs are the height of the pole (a) and 20 ft (b). The hypotenuse is 29 ft (c). Using Pythagorean theorem:

c² = a² + b²

29² = a² + 20²

29² - 20² = a²

√441 = a

a = 21 ft