Question

1. Joshua has a ladder that is 14 ft long. He wants to lean the ladder against a vertical wall so that the top of the ladder is 13.8 ft above the ground. For safety reasons, he wants the angle the ladder makes with the ground to be no greater than 78°. Will the ladder be safe at this height? Show your work and draw a diagram to support your answer.

Answer 1

Explanation:

θ is the angle the ladder makes with the ground.

θ = arcsin(13.8/14) ≈ 80.3° > 78°

The ladder is not safe at that height and angle.