Question

A 7 foot ladder is leaning against the building. The foot of the ladder is 2

feet away from the base of the building. How far up the wall is the top of
the ladder?

Answer 1

About 6.7 feet

Explanation:

This is a basic Pythagorean Theorem problem. a^2+b^2=c^2. We have our b and c, we just need our a.

First, substitute for the b and c:

a^2+2^2=7^2

Then, multiply.

a^2+4=49

Isolate a;

a^2+4=49

-4 -4

__ __

0 45

Now, find the square root to get a by itself:

a=6.7 (rounded)