Question

A support wire for a utility pole is 40 feet long. The wire is attached to the ground 24 feet from the base of the pole. How tall is the utility pole?

Answer 1

32 feet

Explanation:

given the following;

Length of wire = 40feet = hypotenuse

Base of the pole = 24 feet = adjacent

Required

Height of the pole (opposite)

Using the pythagoras theorem;

hyp^2 = opp^2 + adj^2

40^2 = 24^2 + opp^2

1600 = 576 +opp^2

opp^2 = 1600 - 576

opp^2 = 1024

opp = √1024

opp = 32feet

Hence the utility pole is 32feet tall