Question

What is the minimum length ladder that a worker needs to access a landing nine feet above the adjacent floor?

Answer 1

it is 9 Feet, because the landing is nine feet above the adjacent floor the ladder has to be at least that

Answer 2

Answer: 12 feet

So with the standard terms, the ladder should be at least 1 unit away for 4 feet of height so keeping in mind, use the unitary method:

Height Away from base

4 1

9 x

Cross multiply:

x = 9/4

x = 2.5 feet away from the base

Using the Pythagoras Theorem:

a² + b² = c²

place the values for the right triangle (a = 2.5, b = 9):

2.5² + 9² = c²

= 9.34 feet

Now, the length is always more than the height so:

9.34 + 2 = 11.34

Answer:

A minimum of 11.34 feet. So rounding off would result in a 12 foot ladder.