Question

A contractor leans a 21-foot ladder against a building. The distance from the ground to the top of the ladder is 9 feet more than the distance from the building to the base of the ladder. How far up the building is the ladder to the nearest tenth of a foot

Answer 1

Answer:

The distance from the ground to the top of the ladder = 18.7 feet

Step-by-step explanation:

The distance from the ground to the top of the ladder is 9 feet more than the distance from the building to the base of the ladder.

distance from the building to the base of the ladder.= X

The distance from the ground to the top of the ladder = 9+x

Solving the triangle using Pythagorean theorem

X² +(x+9)²= 21²

X² + x² + 18x +81= 441

2x² +18x -360 = 0

X² +9x -180 = 0

X= (-9-28.3)/2 or (-9+28.3)/2

Definitely x is going to be a positive number

So

X= (-9+28.3)/2

X=9.65 feet

The distance from the ground to the top of the ladder = 9+x

The distance from the ground to the top of the ladder = 9+9.65

The distance from the ground to the top of the ladder = 18.65

The distance from the ground to the top of the ladder = 18.7 feet