Question

How long ( in ft) must a rope be to fasten the top of the mast to the bow ?

Answer 1

Since there a right triangle formed, we can use the Pythagorean theorem:

For reference, we will call the base of this triangle a, and the height of the triangle b:

`\begin{gathered} a=8ft \\ b=15ft \end{gathered}`

The Pythagorean theorem is:

`d=\sqrt[]{a^2+b^2}`

In this case:

`d=\sqrt[]{(8ft)^2+(15ft)^2}`

Solving the operations to find b:

`\begin{gathered} d=\sqrt[]{64ft^2+225ft^2} \\ d=\sqrt[]{289ft^2} \\ d=17ft \end{gathered}`

We have found the value of d

Answer:

`d=17ft`