Question

If you place a 17 foot ladder against the top of a 8 foot building how many feet will be bottom of the ladder be from the bottom of the building

Answer 1

Answer:

The distance of the bottom of the ladder be from the bottom of the building is = 15 feet

Step-by-step explanation:

Given:

Length of the ladder =17 ft

Height of the building = 8 ft

To find the length between the bottom of the ladder and the bottom of the building.

Solution:

On drawing out the situation, we find out that a right triangle is formed with the ladder being the hypotenuse and the building being a leg of the right triangle.

We need to find the length of the other leg of the triangle which is the distance from the bottom of the ladder to the bottom of the building.

Applying Pythagorean theorem:

$Hypotenuse^2=Leg1^2+Leg2^2$

Plugging in values in feet from the given data.

$17^2=Leg1^2+8^2$

Simplifying.

$289=Leg1^2+64$

Subtracting both sides by 64.

$289-64=Leg1^2+64-64$

$225=Leg1^2$

Taking square root both sides.

$\sqrt{225}=\sqrt{Leg1^2}$

$15=Leg1$

∴ $Leg1=15\ ft$

Thus, distance of the bottom of the ladder be from the bottom of the building is = 15 feet