Question

A ladder is leaning against a building so that the distance from the ground to the top of the ladder is 88 feetfeet less than the length of the ladder. Find the length of the ladder if the distance from the bottom of the ladder to the building is 1616 feet.

Answer 1

Answer: The length of the ladder is 20 feet.

Step-by-step explanation:

Given : A ladder is leaning against a building so that the distance from the ground to the top of the ladder is 8 feet less than the length of the ladder.

Mathematically,

Let x be the length of the ladder then

Distance from ground to the top of the ladder = x- 8

If distance from the bottom of the ladder to the building is 16 feet.

Since ground makes right angle with building , so the triangle made by ladder should be a right triangle.

By Pythagoras theorem of right triangle , we hae

$(Hypotenuse)=(Perpendicular)^2+(Base)^2$

$\Rightarrow\ x^2=(x-8)^2+16^2\\\\\Rightarrow\ x^2=x^2+64-16x+256\ [\text{Using identity :} (a-b)^2=a^+b^2-2ab]\\\\\Rightarrow 0=-16x+320\\\\\Rightarrow\ 16x=320\\\\\Rightarrow\ x=\dfrac{320}{16}=20$

Hence, the length of the ladder is 20 feet.