Question

A ladder is placed against a fence that is 6 feet tall. The ladder extends 2 feet above the fence and 3 feet behind the fence. IT 2 ft -3 ft- Ladder 6 ft Fence Note: The figure is not drawn to scale. Which proportion can be used to find the distance (x) between the bottom of the ladder and the bottom of the fence?​

Answer 1

The distance between the bottom of the ladder and the bottom of the fence is 2 feet.

Step-by-step explanation:

To find the distance between the bottom of the ladder and the bottom of the fence, we can use a proportion. Let x represent the distance we want to find. The proportion can be set up as:

2 ft / (6 ft + x) = 3 ft / 6 ft

To solve for x, we cross multiply and then divide:

2 ft * 6 ft = 3 ft * (6 ft + x)

12 ft = 18 ft + 3 ft * x

12 ft - 18 ft = 3 ft * x

-6 ft = 3 ft * x

-6 ft / 3 ft = x

x = -2 ft

Since distance cannot be negative, we conclude that the distance between the bottom of the ladder and the bottom of the fence is 2 feet.