195,968 views
14 votes
14 votes
An 8 Foot ladder leans against a building. I'd the ladder makes an angle of 60° with the ground, how far up the wall does the ladder reach? Also, how far from the building is the base of the ladder? round to the nearest 10th

User Dcpartners
by
2.9k points

1 Answer

12 votes
12 votes

9514 1404 393

Answer:

  • up the wall: 4√3 ft ≈ 6.9 ft
  • along the ground: 4 ft

Explanation:

The side ratios in a 30°-60°-90° triangle are 1 : √3 : 2. Since the hypotenuse of this triangle is 8 feet, the multiplier of these ratio values is (8 ft)/2 = 4 ft.

The triangle sides are ...

4 ft : 4√3 ft : 8 ft

The ladder reaches 4√3 ≈ 6.9 ft up the wall. Its base is 4 ft from the building.

User Medrano
by
3.1k points