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

The ladder is approximately 9.75ft from the building

Explanation:

We can use Pythagoras theorem:

`c^2=a^2+b^2`

where:

`c =` it's the size of the ladder, 12ft

`b=` it's the top of the ladder above the ground, 7ft

so:

`c^2-b^2=a^2\\\implies a=√(c^2-b^2)\\ a=√((12)^2-(7)^2)\\a=√(95)\\ a\approx 9.75ft`

`\text{-B$\mathfrak{randon}$VN}`