Question

If you place a 34-foot ladder against the top of a 30-foot building, how many feet will the bottom of the ladder be from the bottom of the building?

Answer 1

16

Explanation:

Took it on delta math

Answer 2

It is 16 feet from the bottom of the building

Explanation:

Let the bottom of the ladder be x feet from the bottom of the building.

Note that the length of the ladder becomes the hypotenuse.

Then using Pythagoras theorem,

`{34}^(2) = {x}^(2) + {30}^(2)`

We solve for x,

`{34}^(2) - {30}^(2) = {x}^(2)`

`256 = {x}^(2)`

`x = √(256) = 16`

Therefore 16 feet from the bottom of the building