Question

A plank of wood leans against a wall with its upper end 5.1 metres off the ground. Its

lower end is 3.2 metres from the foot of the wall. How long is the plank of wood ?

Answer 1

9514 1404 393

Answer:

6.0 m

Explanation:

The desired length is the hypotenuse of a right triangle with legs 5.1 m and 3.2 m. The Pythagorean theorem tells you that length (in meters) is ...

length = √(5.1^2 +3.2^2) = √36.25

length ≈ 6.0208 . . . . meters

The plank of wood is about 6.0 meters long.