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A carpenter props a ladder against the wall of a building. The base of the ladder is 10 feet from the wall. The top of the ladder is 24 feet from the ground. How long is the ladder?​

User OlliM
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1 Answer

6 votes

Answer:

Explanation:

We can use the Pythagorean theorem to solve this problem. The Pythagorean theorem states that in a right triangle, the square of the length of the hypotenuse (the longest side) is equal to the sum of the squares of the lengths of the other two sides. In this case, the ladder forms the hypotenuse, the distance from the wall to the base of the ladder forms one leg, and the height of the ladder forms the other leg. Let's call the length of the ladder "L".

Using the Pythagorean theorem, we can write:

L^2 = (distance from the wall)^2 + (height of the ladder)^2

Substituting the given values, we get:

L^2 = 10^2 + 24^2

L^2 = 100 + 576

L^2 = 676

Taking the square root of both sides, we get:

L = sqrt(676)

L = 26

Therefore, the length of the ladder is 26 feet.

User Chiharu
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