Answer:
the ladder is 5 ft from the base of the wall.
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To find the unknown length, we need to use the Pythagorean Theorem
- The Pythagorean Theorem is a²+b²=c²
Since the legs are x and 12 this means that a=x and b=12
Also, since the hypotenuse is 13, this means that c=13.
- Plug in a=x, b=12, c=13
- x²+12²=13²
- x²+144=169
Subtract 144 from both sides.
Combine like terms.
Take the square root of both sides.
x=5 Simplify the square root.
Answer:
So the solution is x=5 which means that the foot of the ladder is 5 ft from the base of the wall.