Question

A spotlight is mounted on the eaves of a house 20 feet above the ground. A flower bed runs between the house and the​ sidewalk, so the closest the ladder can be placed to the house is 15 feet. How long a ladder is needed so that an electrician can reach the place where the light is​ mounted

Answer 1

Explanation:

We can use the Pythagorean theorem to solve this problem. Let's call the length of the ladder "L". The ladder, the wall of the house, and the ground form a right triangle. The distance between the ladder and the house is the base of the triangle, which is 15 feet. The height of the triangle is the distance from the ground to the spotlight, which is 20 feet. The length of the ladder is the hypotenuse of the triangle.

Using the Pythagorean theorem, we have:

L^2 = 15^2 + 20^2

L^2 = 225 + 400

L^2 = 625

L = sqrt(625)

L = 25

Therefore, a ladder of at least 25 feet is needed for the electrician to reach the place where the light is mounted.