Question

One end of a cable is attached to the top of a 60-foot pole. The other end is attached to the ground at a distance of 25 feet from the base of the pole. How long is the cable in feet?

Answer 1

This is a simple $A^2 + B^2 = C^2$ Pythagorean Theorem problem.

So here we go:

Imagine a right triangle with 2 legs and a hypotenuse.
The Pole is the vertical leg. The Cable is the hypotenuse. The distance on the ground between the cable and the pole is the 3rd leg.

We are trying to find the hypotenuse which is C in our Pythagorean Theorem.

Thus:
$60^2 + 25^2 = C^2$

Add the squares:

$3600 + 625 = 4225 = C^2$

Now take the square root of both sides:
*Remember that in triangles, we cannot have a negative value for the length. (If it's possible, please contact the Nobel Prize admins).

$\sqrt{C^2} = C = \sqrt{4225} = 65$

Thus:

$C = Length = 65 ft$