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A 20 foot ladder leans against a wall forming a 70 degree angle between it and the ground. How far up on the wall does the ladder reach?

A) 6.8feet
B)7.3feet
C)18.8feet
D)21.3feet

1 Answer

6 votes

Final answer:

To find the height on the wall, we can use trigonometry and the sine function. The height is approximately 18.8 feet.

Step-by-step explanation:

To find how far up on the wall the ladder reaches, we can use trigonometry. In this case, we have a right triangle formed by the ladder, the wall, and the ground. The length of the ladder represents the hypotenuse, while the distance up the wall represents the height. We know the length of the ladder (20 feet) and the angle between the ladder and the ground (70 degrees). Using the sine function, we can calculate the height:

sin(70 degrees) = height / 20 feet

Let's solve for the height:

height = sin(70 degrees) * 20 feet

Using a calculator, we find that the height is approximately 18.8 feet.

User Ivan Poliakov
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