Question

A flagpole broke in a storm. 7 meters are still sticking straight out of the ground, where it snapped, but the remaining piece has hinges over and touches the ground at a point 24 meters away horizontally. How tall was the flagpole before it broke?

Answer 1

Height of the flagpole before it broke was 32 m

Explanation:

• Step 1: This forms a right angled triangle with height 7 m and base 24 m. Find the hypotenuse using the Pythagoras Theorem.

Hypotenuse² = Base² + Height²

= 24² + 7² = 576 + 49 = 625

∴ Hypotenuse = √625 = 25 m

• Step 2: Find the height of the flagpole before it broke.

Since the stuck 7 m and the remaining part which is the hypotenuse together make the flagpole.

⇒ Height = 7 m + 25 m = 32 m