Question

4b. Laura has a 12-foot ladder. The safety instructions recommend the

base of the ladder be placed 4 feet from the base of the wall. How highwill the ladder be able to reach on the wall? WRITE YOUR ANSWER AS A SIMPLIFIED RADICAL. (HINT: Use the abbreviation sqrt to mean "square root of." For example an answer might look like 5sqrt3, and be read "five times the square root of 3".)

Answer 1

8√2 feet

Explanation:

We solve the above question using the Pythagoras theorem

Laura has a 12-foot ladder. The safety instructions recommend the

base of the ladder be placed 4 feet from the base of the wall.

Hypotenuse² = Opposite ² + Adjacent ²

Hypotenuse = 12ft

Adjacent = 4ft

Opposite = Height = x

Opposite ² = Hypotenuse ² - Adjacent

Opposite = √Hypotenuse ² - Adjacent

Opposite = √12² - 4²

Opposite = √144 - 16

Opposite = √128

Opposite = √64 × 2

Opposite = 8√2 feet

Therefore, the ladder will be 8√2 feet high on the wall