Question

a 12 ft ladder is leaning against a building. the top of the ladder is 7 ft above the ground. how far from the building is the ladder?

Answer 1

To find the distance from the building, we can use the Pythagorean theorem. The distance from the building is approximately 9.75 feet.

Step-by-step explanation:

To find the distance from the building, we can use the Pythagorean theorem, which states that in a right triangle, the square of the hypotenuse's length is equal to the sum of the squares of the other two sides' lengths. In this case, the ladder is the hypotenuse, the distance from the building is one side, and the height of the ladder is the other side.

Using the Pythagorean theorem, we can solve for the distance from the building:
(Distance from building)^2 + (Height of ladder)^2 = (Length of ladder)^2
(Distance from building)^2 + (7 ft)^2 = (12 ft)^2
(Distance from building)^2 + 49 ft^2 = 144 ft^2
(Distance from building)^2 = 144 ft^2 - 49 ft^2
(Distance from building)^2 = 95 ft^2
Distance from building = sqrt(95 ft^2)
Distance from building ≈ 9.75 ft