Question

what do you do in the following problem... "Michael is leaning a 12 foot ladder is leaning against the side of a building. The top of the ladder reaches 10 feet up the side of the building. Approximately how far, to the nearest hundredth, is the bottom of the ladder from the base of the building?"

Answer 1

Answer:

The distance between the bottom of the ladder to the base of the building = 6.63 feet

Explanations:

The height of the ladder, l = 12 feet

Height of the wall covered by the ladder, h = 10 feet

Distance between the base of the building and the bottom of the ladder = x

Using the pythagoras theorem:

`\begin{gathered} (\text{Hypotenuse)}^2=(opposite)^2+(Adjacent)^2 \\ l^2=h^2+x^2 \\ 12^2=10^2+x^2 \\ 144=100+x^2 \\ 144-100=x^2 \\ 44=x^2 \\ \sqrt[]{44}=\text{ x} \\ x\text{ = }6.63 \end{gathered}`

The distance between the bottom of the ladder to the base of the building = 6.63 feet