Question

A youth group is setting up camp. Rain is predicted, so the campers decide to build a fly, or rain cover, over their tent. The fly will be 12 feet high and 16 feet wide. The scouts are building the frame for the fly with two poles slanted and joined together at the top of the tent.

The minimum length of the slanted poles needed to support the fly is how many feet

Answer 1

Explanation:

As shown in the diagram.

The fly will be 16 feet wide i.e BC = 16 feet

thus BD = DC = 8 feet

By pythagorus theorem

Hypotenuse²= Height ²+ Base²

in ΔABD

AD = 12 feet

BD = 8 feet

put these value in the equation

AB ²= AD² + BD²

AB²= 12²+ 8²

AB² = 144 + 64

AB² = 208

AB = 14.42 feet

The minimum length of the slanted poles needed to support the fly is 14.42 feet.