jminceypope1
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a 16 foot ladder is leaned against a wall. if the base of the ladder is 5 ft. from the wall, how high up on the wall does the ladder reach?
triangle
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Assume the base of the ladder is resting on a floor that is perpendicular to the wall (on which the top of the ladder is resting).
Then use Pythagorus....
Please share your work with us, indicating exactly where you are stuck - so that we may know where to begin to help you.
mmm4444bot
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Draw a picture.
It's a right triangle.
They gave you the length of the hypotenuse (ladder) and one leg (base).
They want the length of the other leg (wall).
It's a right triangle.
They gave you the length of the hypotenuse (ladder) and one leg (base).
They want the length of the other leg (wall).
Pythagorean theorem
if you have a ladder leaned against a wall the ladder is diagonal to the wall, but the ladder is still 16 feet. So the question gives you c^2 the hypotenuse of the triangle. At the same time the question also gives you what you need to solve the equation. A base of 5. This is a^2. So to this you reverse the pythagorean theorem. 5^2+?= 16^2. 16^2 is 256 and 5^2 is 25. So 256-25= 231. Square root 231 to get 15.198. This is b^2. so 5^2+15.198^2=16^2 the ladder reaches 15.198 feet up the wall.
if you have a ladder leaned against a wall the ladder is diagonal to the wall, but the ladder is still 16 feet. So the question gives you c^2 the hypotenuse of the triangle. At the same time the question also gives you what you need to solve the equation. A base of 5. This is a^2. So to this you reverse the pythagorean theorem. 5^2+?= 16^2. 16^2 is 256 and 5^2 is 25. So 256-25= 231. Square root 231 to get 15.198. This is b^2. so 5^2+15.198^2=16^2 the ladder reaches 15.198 feet up the wall.