Final answer:
To find the length of a ramp with a vertical rise of 4 feet and a horizontal distance of 8 feet, use the Pythagorean theorem. The calculated length of the ramp is approximately 8.9 feet when rounded to the nearest tenth of a foot.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student's question involves finding the length of a ramp given a vertical rise of 4 feet and a horizontal distance of 8 feet. To find the length of the ramp, which is the hypotenuse of a right triangle, we use the Pythagorean theorem: a2 + b2 = c2, where a is the vertical rise, b is the horizontal distance, and c is the hypotenuse (the length of the ramp).
By plugging in the values a = 4 feet and b = 8 feet into the Pythagorean theorem, we get:
42 + 82 = c2
16 + 64 = c2
80 = c2.
Taking the square root of both sides, we find that c ≈ 8.9 feet.
Therefore, the length of the ramp to the nearest tenth of a foot is approximately 8.9 feet.