Question

A telephone worker needs to run a guide wire from the top of a 40-foot telephone pole to the ground. He measures the distance from the base of the pole to the point of the ground where the wire would end to be 30 feet. Use the Pythagorean Theorem to find the length of wire that the worker will need.

Answer 1

Tape measure and a piece of paper and ground stick and shovel

Answer 2

Answer: the length of wire that the worker will need is 50 feet

Explanation:

A right angle triangle is formed. The height of the telephone pole represents the opposite side of the right angle triangle.

The distance from the base of the pole to the point of the ground where the wire would end represents the adjacent side of the right angle triangle.

The length, h of wire that the worker will need represents the hypotenuse of the right angle triangle.

To determine h, we would apply Pythagoras theorem which is expressed as

Hypotenuse² = opposite side² + adjacent side²

h² = 40² + 30²

h ² = 1600 + 900 = 2500

h = √2500

h = 50 feet