Question

Two window washers, Tori and Nathan, lean a ladder against the side of a building so that Tori can wash a window while Nathan holds the ladder. The top of the ladder reaches the window, which is 12 feet off the ground. The base of the ladder is 5 feet away from the building. How long is the ladder?

Answer 1

13 feet

Explanation:

This is a right triangle problem

Use the Pythagorean Theorem

c² = a² + b²

c² = 12² + 5²

c² = 144 + 25

c² = 169

Take the square root of both sides

c = 13