Question

How many feet will your ladder need to be make it to the top of the wall?

Answer 1

To solve this question we will use the following diagram:0

Let x ft be the length the ladder needs to be to make it to the top of the wall.

Using the Pythagorean Theorem we get:

`(\text{xft)}^2=(10ft)^2+(30ft)^2\text{.}`

Simplifying the above equation we get:

`\begin{gathered} x^2ft^2=100ft^2+900ft^2 \\ x^2ft^2=1000ft^2\text{.} \end{gathered}`

Therefore:

`\begin{gathered} x^2=1000, \\ x=\sqrt[]{1000}, \\ x=10\sqrt[]{10}. \end{gathered}`

Therefore, the length of the ladder must be:

`10\sqrt[]{10}ft.`

Answer:

`10\sqrt[]{10}ft.`