Question

A ramp was constructed to load a truck. If the ramp is 10 feet long and the horizontal distance from the bottom of the ramp to the truck is 8 feet, what is the vertical height of the ramp?

Answer 1

This problem is an example of using the Pythagorean Theorem. a^2 + 64 = 100
a^2 = 36
a = 6
so the height is 6 feet

Answer 2

Answer: 6ft

Step-by-step explanation:

Since the diagram in question is a right angled triangle, we will use Pythagoras theorem to get the height of the ramp.

Let the height of the ramp be 'x'

Pythagoras theorem states that the square of the sum of the opposite and adjacent side of a right angled triangle is equal to the square of the hypotenuse.

Mathematically we have;

10² = 8² + x²

Note the the longest side is always the hypotenuse and the side facing the acute angle is opposite leaving the remaining side as adjacent.

100 = 64 +x²

x² = 100 - 64

x² = 36

x = √36

x = 6ft.

Therefore the height of the ramp will be 6ft