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A 10-foot ladder leans against a wall with its foot braced 3 feet from wall's base. How far up the wall does the ladder reach?

User WarFox
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1 Answer

4 votes
pythagorean theorem
for a right triangle with legs legnth a and b and hytponuse c
a^2+b^2=c^2

the legnht of th eladder is the hypotnuse
the 3 feet is bottom leg
height is other leg

10=c
3=a
b=?
3^2+b^2=10^2
9+b^2=100
minus 9 both sides
b^2=91
sqrt both sides
b=√91
aprox
b=9.53939


answer is √91 feet or aprox 9.53939
User Jeroenh
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