Question

A ladder reaches a window 20 feet above the ground. The foot of the ladder is 4 feet from the wall. Which of the following measures correspond to the length of the ladder? Round to the nearest hundredth.

Answer 1

Use pythagorians theorem a^2 + b^2 = c^2. 4^+20^ = 20.40 feet. The ladder is 20.40 feet long.

Answer 2

A² + b² = c²
c² = 20² + 4²
c² = 416
c =√416
c = 20.40 (nearest hundredth)