Question

To help racecar drivers safely negotiate turns, racetracks are banked at the curves. At one location, a 58 ft track is banked such that the highest point on the track is 23.6 ft above ground level. The cross section of the track is in the shape of a right triangle, as shown below. What is the width of the base of this cross section? A. 34.4 ft B. 53.0 ft C. 62.6 ft D. 81.6 ft

Answer 1

The correct answer is Choice B: 53.0 feet.

If you draw a picture of the cross section, you will have a right triangle. The hypotenuse is 58 and one of the legs is 23.6. All you have to do is use the Pythagorean Theorem and solve for the missing side.

x^2 + 23.6^2 = 58^2