Question

Select the correct answer.

A city bus has a wheelchair ramp. When the bus is raised so that the door is 2 feet above the ground, the end of the ramp is 3 feet away
from the bus. If the bus is lowered so the door is 1.5 feet above the ground, approximately how far away will the end of the ramp be
from the bus?

Answer 1

3.3 feet

Explanation:

See attached worksheet. Construct two right triangles from the two bus heights and ramp extensions. Use the Pythagorean theorem to calculate portions of these triangles.

1. Calculate the length of the ramp from the first position described. The ramp is 3.61 feet long.

2. Use that length in the second right triangle. The new height is 1.5 feet, the hypotenuse is 3.61 feet. Solve for y, the new distance the ramp reaches from the bus. The new distance, y, is 3.28 feet. The answer option of 3.3 feet is closest.